The Boys in Blue
by The Dark Hood
Summary: A new challenger appears for the Generation of Miracles. What will this change bring about in the world of basketball? Not yaoi.
1. The Boys in Blue

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke…..pretty sure I spelled that right.**

* * *

 **Prologue:  
** **The Boys in Blue**

Kise was never one to mope around too much. It just wasn't his style. Whenever life kicked him hard, he always made sure to bounce back. It was simply the best way to solve your problems, is what he thought.

This time was different, though. This time, he couldn't just bounce back. Not after suffering his first defeat in a long time. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. He could still remember that moment, that single moment that marked his loss. It just kept flashing through his head over and over again. It had already been two days since the practice match, but that feeling wouldn't go away.

'Man, this is just a pain.'

Not even immersing himself in practice had changed his mood. Kise was really hoping that this wasn't permanent. He had a championship to win. Even if Kurokocchi had turned him down and consequently defeated him, Kise hadn't lost sight of that goal. He had a promise to keep with the others too, after all.

'There's also Kagamicchi to worry about now too.'

Seriously, things had gotten really complicated lately, hadn't they? At least it kept things interesting. Kise only wished he was in a better mood soon.

With all these thoughts flooding through his head, it was no surprise that Kise walked aimlessly on his way home after practice. He was only able to snap back to reality when he noticed that he was by the same street court he and Kuroko had spoken at just days prior. It was darker than that day, and there was no one playing street basketball this time. No jerkwads either.

Yes, _jerkwads_.

But there was one person playing basketball all by his lonesome. The person was also a blond, just like Kise, but his hair was messy and spiky. He was also shorter than Kise by a few inches. If Kise had to guess, he would say this blond was about Kuroko's height, maybe a bit taller. He also had some very distinct markings on his cheek that gave him a very animalistic appearance.

His moves drove that animal-like image home, as Kise bore witness to some very quick and agile movements from the unknown blond. The orange hoodie he wore did nothing to stop the teen from moving rather swiftly through the court, almost like he was playing an entire game in his head.

If Kise was being completely honest, it was like he was watching Aomine play. It just had that unorthodox feel to it.

It made Kise want to play basketball, a drive which he had lost for the past two days.

Dropping his bag by the entrance to the court, Kise walked up to the stranger while trying to contain his eagerness to play the guy.

"Hey there. You got some pretty interesting moves."

The unknown blond stopped mid-shot and turned to Kise, his face somewhat blank.

"Ah." The blond lowered his arms but kept his hold on the ball. "Thanks. I was just doing some practice runs. I saw some guys playing earlier, and I got curious."

"You mean you don't play for a team?"

"No, I don't. This is my first time holding a basketball too. The guys from earlier must have forgotten it. That's why I was sorta curious."

Kise had to stop himself from gaping at his fellow blond. "This is your first time playing, and you're already that good!?"

"Am I?" the blond chuckled somewhat sheepishly. "I have no reference for this kind of stuff. I was just doing what felt natural."

Kise eyed him before making up his mind. He took off his uniform jacket and tie and tossed them next to his bag.

"What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kise turned to face the newcomer. "I want to face you in a one-on-one. See how good you really are."

"Well, I don't mind, but…...I really don't know any of the rules of this game."

Just that you had to get the ball in the basket.

"No worries. This isn't a legal match. It's just between us."

Kise was really interested to see if his suspicions were true, so there was no way he was going to let this moment pass.

The other blond just shrugged. "Alright then."

The two got into position, with Kise on defense and his new opponent with the ball. Kise's uniform wasn't the best thing to be wearing for something like this, but he wasn't going to let that slow him down.

The two teens eyed one another as the whiskered blond dribbled the ball in a calm manner. It was rather fitting, as it signified the calm before the storm as it were.

Then, it happened. Kise couldn't really describe with proper words what happened, just that the whiskered blond was suddenly on the move. It was almost like his whole body had been trained for speed. He blitzed right past Kise, who was unable to react until a second later. While that might have been bad for most players, Kise wasn't most players. He was still able to catch up to the whiskered blond, stopping him from going straight to the basket. This didn't deter the blond for too long, though, as less than a second later he was cutting back, dribbling the ball to his other hand to move in the opposite direction. Kise reacted accordingly and followed, sticking close to the blond. He wasn't going to let this guy score that easily.

It was exactly what the blond had wanted.

He did another cut, stepping back for the second time and showing off his quick reaction time in the process. Kise made to follow but found that he was slower to react this time. At least, a lot slower than the shorter blond. It showed Kise exactly what the blond had been going for, and that was to use his faster react time to put some distance between the two of them. It wasn't much, but it gave him the opening he needed to go for the point and get the dunk in.

Kise's eyes shined in admiration. "Holy…..that was amazing! You totally got past me, just like that!"

A part of him was annoyed at this, but another part of him was extremely excited. This guy…..he was good. He was the real deal. His movements were even better than Kagami's! To top it all of, his moves weren't that complex either. It was a pretty straightforward drive, but his speed was more than enough to make it work.

The other blond rubbed the back of his head. "Hahaha, well thanks. My physical prowess is the one thing I can take comfort in."

Physical prowess? That was an odd way to put it. Kise didn't dwell on that for long, though, as he placed his arm over the blond's shoulder.

"You said you didn't play for a team, right?"

Cue eyebrow raise. "Yeah. My school doesn't have one."

"Heh, then how would you like to come over to Kaijō High and change that?"

"What-? Are you offering me a spot on your team or something?"

"Of course! You're seriously good. The least you could do is give it a shot, right?"

"You say that, but…..."

"Aww, come on! It'll be fun!" Kise went for his stuff before asking him, "What's your name by the way?"

"Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uzumaki, huh?" Kise nodded. "Uzumakicchi."

Naruto sweatdropped. "Uzumaki…..cchi?"

"Anyway, you totally need to come!" Kise pointed at him and winked. "We hold practice after school tomorrow. I'll pick you up if I have to. That's how determined I am."

"You don't have to go that far." Naruto sighed and finally relented. "If you're that serious about it, then fine. It's not like I have anything else going on in the afternoons."

Kise smirked. "Alright, it's decided then! A promise between you and me."

"Yeah, a promise….."

Naruto wasn't as enthusiastic, but whatever. He was still going to give this a shot, if only to see what came of it.

That, and he had promised.

* * *

The coach for the Kaijō High basketball team had noticed something of an oddity in his star player ever since the practice match with Seirin. He was confident his player could bounce back up from the defeat and hand Seirin a loss in the upcoming tournament. What he hadn't expected was for Kise to be all bubbly and excited the next day.

"Do I need to ask what's wrong with him?"

The team had gathered in the gym to start their practice for the day, including the first string. Kasamatsu, the captain, just shook his head.

"Your guess is as good as mine, coach. He's been talking nonsense all day."

"Ah!" Moriyama, the woman-finder expert, gasped in realization. "He must have found a girl so cute, that his brain has gone haywire!"

"At least take this seriously, dumbass!"

"The e(x)citement in Kise is (a)dmirable I s(a)y!" Hayakawa, the team's rebound guy, said with equal excitement.

The others still couldn't really understand him that much, but that was neither here nor there.

The coach sighed. "Whatever. As long as he's good to practice, then-"

"Wait a second, coach." Kise finally returned from his lala land to face his team. "Someone special is going to be joining us for practice today."

"Huh?" Kasamatsu frowned. "What are you talking about?"

If he invited one of his fangirls here, there would be hell to pay.

Kise puffed out his chest, looking proud. "I actually scouted someone for the team yesterday."

His proud look shattered as Kasamatsu delivered a swift kick to his back, knocking him down to the floor.

"What kind of bullshit is that!?"

Kobori, their final first string member and the straight man in their comedy routines, chuckled in light amusement. "I think you might break him if you hit him that hard."

That didn't matter right now!

The coach crossed his arms. "Kise, what are you talking about?"

But before the part-time model could explain, the doors to the gym were opened, and another certain blond took his first steps in. He was dressed in his school uniform, which consisted of a black blazer and pants, with an orange t-shirt underneath. If Kise had been paying attention, he would have realized his new friend had a certain affinity with the color orange.

"There he is! This is the guy I was talking to you about, coach!"

 _Just_ talking about is more like it.

Nevertheless, the coach and the rest of the first-string studied the blond as Kise started to drag him toward them.

"Hmm." Nakamura, who had been part of the first string before Kise had joined, didn't exactly look all that impressed by the newcomer. "Is Kise sure about this guy?"

Kasamatsu was thinking along the same lines too. What could this guy do that had impressed Kise so much to bring him here?

The coach studied Naruto for a few moments longer. "You say you want to play for this team?"

It was more like Kise had dragged him here, but Naruto wasn't about to say that.

"He'll totally blow you away, coach!" And Kise was still excited about the whole thing. Well, that was Kise. Always brimming with excitement when it came to basketball.

The coach still wasn't buying it. In his mind, this was a waste of time. But if he could get his ace more motivated, then so be it.

"Alright, fine. We'll test him. Have him-"

"Two-on-four."

The coach paused, as did the others. "Huh?"

Kise grinned. "Me and Uzumakicchi against the others. That should prove to you what I'm talking about, right?"

Moriyama twitched a little. "It feels like we're being underestimated here."

Kasamatsu had a tic mark over his head. "Yeah, really seems like it. These first-years have quite the ego on them, huh?"

"I-It's not like that, captain!" Kise said while trying to placate the older teen. "It's just the best way to show you what I mean!"

Naruto stood back, not really caring all that much about what was decided. He had no stake in this.

Kasamatsu had to sigh and give Naruto one final glance. "If you say so. Just don't end up regretting it later."

Kise started to grin again.

"Don't worry, captain. I won't."

* * *

The others in the team were whispering among themselves as they watched how the first string got themselves ready for another practice match, only this one was more bizarre than the last one.

Naruto, who had come prepared and was now in slacks and a t-shirt, stood on one side of the court with Kise while the rest of the first string stood on the other side.

"Is this really fair?" Naruto wondered. "Or does this happen all the time in basketball?"

"I don't think it would ever happen in a real match." Kise thought about it and then shrugged. "But this is just for practice, so we can be more loose with the rules."

Is that so? That's good to know.

The coach stood on the sidelines, watching everything with a keen eye. He still didn't buy that this Uzumaki Naruto person was anything special, but it was still worth keeping an eye for. If the Seirin match had taught him anything, it was to be more cautious of the unexpected.

The ball was tossed over to Kise and Naruto, the former grabbing it.

The four in the first string got into defensive positions as Naruto and Kise started to move forward. It was Kasamatsu who went for Kise first, applying pressure to the ace of the team.

Kise was very much having fun. "I think this is the first time I'm really going out against you, captain."

"Shut up already and play." Kasamatsu just wanted to see what Kise saw in this new guy.

Kise didn't reply, choosing instead to let Naruto's skills speak for the blond.

Speaking of the Uzumaki, he was ever so slowly moving closer to the basket as Hayakawa marked him. Moriyama and Kobori were underneath the post, looking ready for anything.

It came for them quickly as Kise managed to pull off a fake against their captain, who was right on Kise's heel. He wasn't going to let Kise have a chance to score a shot. Except that wasn't Kise's intention at all.

The model threw a pass to Naruto right before he got past the three point line. Naruto caught the ball with ease, and Hayakawa glared at him.

"Br(i)ng it! I won't (l)et you g(e)t past me!"

Naruto didn't really understand the slur in his speech, but he decided to ignore it in favor of driving past the taller teen.

It was here that the coach started to see the first glimpse of what Kise was talking about, for Naruto was able to dribble past Hayakawa before the brown-haired teen knew what was happening.

'That speed…..he's even faster than Kise…...!'

Having gotten past Hayakawa, two more obstacles stood in between Naruto and the basket: Moriyama and Kobori. The two teens were shocked by Naruto's speed, but that wasn't going to stop them from defending the hoop.

Naruto didn't mind this. It was the first time he was facing opposition like this, and he welcomed it. It had been a while since he had been able to have this much fun.

The Uzumaki went for the jump straight away, surprising everyone else further.

'A lane-up!?' If the coach had been able to keep the shock from his face before, he couldn't do it now.

Moriyama and Kobori jumped together as they made to block the shot. Except the opposite happened, with Naruto dunking the shot right through them.

The two defenders were shocked further by this as they came falling down to the floor of the court, both on their asses and gaping up at the blond who had been able to score right through them.

"W-What the hell?" Kasamatsu was just as surprised. This Uzumaki Naruto wasn't tall, nor did he look to have the muscles of someone who could do something like this. And yet, it had just happened. He had made a dunk right through two defenders and made it look easy.

Again, what the hell?

Even Kise felt more surprise rush him. He knew Naruto had speed, but power too?

What a deadly combo.

Naruto looked at the two fallen boys and lent them a hand each, his face apologetic.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to put in that much strength. Handling the ball is still a bit difficult for me."

He wasn't known for restraint, after all.

Kobori and Moriyama accepted the gesture.

"Don't worry about it," Kobori said, smiling a bit. "You're good. Looks like we were the ones underestimating you."

Moriyama was on the same boat. "Yeah, really surprised us there."

"Heh, it's all good. I don't exactly radiate power."

Not anymore.

Kise gave Kasamatsu a smirk. "See? Didn't I tell you he was good?"

Even if he was right, the way he said it still annoyed Kasamatsu.

The coach was more focused on this interesting turn of events for them, silently wondering if this was a sign from the gods of what's to come.

'No, I'm getting ahead of myself. There is still a lot do before that.'

As he thought this, the rest of the team started to gather around Naruto, all of them congratulating him. Kise was at the very center of this, slinging his arm around the Uzumaki again and laughing.

It was a chance meeting, but one that would have very strong implications for the future.

* * *

 **I honestly did this on a whim. I've had this idea for a while, and I finally decided to put it on paper. Or computer. I have no idea if I'll continue it or not. I guess if enough people like it, I will.**

 **I didn't put any details of Naruto's life in this verse since I didn't think there was any need. This is only the prologue, which I don't even know if I'll continue. So yeah. I had no real reason to add further details.**

 **Hopefully I got the terminology right.**

 **Anyway, thoughts are appreciated.**


	2. Practice Match?

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1:  
** **Practice Match?**

Lady Kaga Michiko. Widow, and owner of one of the biggest and most prosperous pharmaceutical companies in all of Japan. Her husband had amassed quite a bit of wealth with his company, and now it was all hers. A fact that might make many people very happy, but not her. She might have the wealth and the power, but it came at a terrible price.

As mentioned, she was a widow. But her pain didn't stop there. Not only had she lost her husband, but she had also lost her son. Both dead in a terrible car crash. The two most important people in her life had been taken away from her. No money in the world could replace that.

It was after that that the woman had taken to locking herself in her home. Said home was close to a mansion really, not that it changed much for her. There, she spent her days doing nothing but staring into space, her eyes dead. She left the company in the hands of a board committee, which had been chosen by her late husband in cases of emergency. The company was hers, but she didn't run it. She had no desire to. She had no desire to do anything anymore. She was in her forties, but many said she was still very beautiful. That she could still find someone new. Start over.

She never could.

It was in this state that something miraculous happened. Just as quickly as her family had disappeared from her life, so too had someone else entered it.

Uzumaki Naruto.

The boy had been found by several of her staff in the garden of her mansion. The boy had been terribly burned, and his clothes had been in tatters. It was almost like he had been in a war zone or something.

While this appearance was shocking, this didn't deter her from providing the boy with medical aid, all paid by her. Something in her had sparked the moment she had laid eyes on him. At the time, she didn't know what it was. Now, she knew it was her instincts as a mother. The thought of letting the boy die, to let another mother suffer the same despair she had…...she couldn't allow that.

She had stayed by his side during his recovery, which had taken a few months. But alas, he had awaken. And with no memory of where he came from or how he had gotten inside her home. He only knew his name, and nothing else. It was saddening to her, as she knew no person should ever have to lose the memories of their life like that. She also didn't want to think of the boy's family, what they might go through because of his absence.

Regardless, she had offer the boy her support. To fully recover from his burns, to get back into society, and through it all she had formed a bond with him reminiscent of that of a mother and her son. A part of her thought it was wrong, that she was only pushing her feelings on the boy. The rest of her didn't care. Perhaps this was just fate telling her that she didn't need to be alone.

Either way, she took this opportunity to be a mother again.

Naruto became her family. It was like Kaga Michiko was reborn. Life returned to her eyes, and she became more interested in the company again. It was only possible because she had Naruto in her life.

Uzumaki Naruto would remain Uzumaki Naruto, however. He would not change his name. It was the only thing he had from his memories, and he didn't want to lose that.

In the end, they both helped one another and were able to stand firm in the face of the despair life had thrown their way. It was only possible because they had one another.

This was the beginnings of Uzumaki Naruto in this strange, but exciting new world.

* * *

"I can't believe you ditched me yesterday! That's two days in a row! Do you want me to report you to Kaga-sama!?"

"The fact you call her 'Kaga-Sama' is weird enough, Yuki…..."

"Don't change the subject, Naruto-kun! I'm really mad at you right now."

Naruto sighed. He had really been dreading this talk. It's part of the reason why he had been hiding from his only friend, Sugawara Yuki, all day. The girl was the same age as him, both seventeen. She had short dark purple hair and icy blue eyes, which got even colder when she was mad. It was a quick way to make sure that he fell in line when she wanted him to do something. Most of the guys said she had a good figure, with her breasts especially catching the eyes of many at school even through her unflattering school uniform. Not that Naruto would know anything about that, mind you.

He was no pervert. That's what he told himself anyway.

Even though he called her his friend, she was also technically his maid, hired by his mother to keep an eye on him. It was a long story, with Yuki's father having worked for his mother's now deceased husband. The man had helped Yuki's family through difficult times. Yuki's father now served his mother, which all led to Yuki becoming his personal maid in the present time. Naruto had no idea if this was just something rich people did, but that's how it was with him. She had been made his personal maid because of her age, so she could be with him even at school. Naruto had complain to his mother about this, that he didn't need to be coddled.

She hadn't listened to him at all. Mothers were just stubborn like that.

Anyway, even though he was technically her boss, the two teens didn't behave as such. Their relationship resembled that of really close friends, with everyone at school remarking that they should just get married already.

High school teens could be really annoying like that.

Speaking of school…...it sucked. It was torture for the blond to be sitting in a desk for most of the day, listening to people tell him about stuff that he honestly did not care for. He honestly had no idea how he had been able to survive in such a place before losing his memories. He needed action, excitement, not boring school lessons.

"Something sorta interesting came up, okay. I wanted to deal with it on my own before coming to a decision."

"And it was interesting enough for you to skip school?"

"…...okay, it came up _after_ I skipped. But still!"

Oh, boy. She was really glaring at him now. When she got like this, Naruto knew he was going to have to take her out to make her happy again. Good thing he knew her weakness. Sweets. She had a real sweet tooth on her.

"You're not getting into any trouble, are you?" Surprisingly, she didn't yell at him. Her face turned somber, her tone soft.

Naruto sighed again. Honestly, he would have preferred the yelling over this. Because this meant that she was _really_ worried about him. All because she knew about his resentment toward his memory loss, which only made him have a bored outlook on life. School had no interest for him, neither did anything in the city or life in general. For Naruto, it was like he was floating along without any real goal in mind.

Yuki didn't like that mentality.

"It's not like that. If you want to know so much, you can be there when I tell kaa-chan about my decision."

Yuki suddenly grabbed him by the sleeve of his uniform, stopping him. Naruto looked at her in confusion, not understanding her actions. It was only when he saw the desperate look in her eyes that he understood.

"I'm sorry if I'm annoying. I just…...I just don't want to see you waste your gifts like this."

Naruto almost snorted. "What gifts? I'm not smart. All I got is my athleticism, which only makes people think I'm some kind of freak or something."

The blond was almost afraid of what he could do sometimes. He didn't know why or how, but it was almost like he was super human. It was yet another aspect of himself that made him stay away from other people. He was just…...too different from them. Yuki and his mother were the only ones who saw him as him. But even so…...just who was he?

That was a rabbit hole better not explored.

"I hate when you say that," Yuki denied. "You know you're more than that. If you only showed focus on something, you'd see what I'm talking about."

Something, huh?

Naruto hid his smile. "You might be right about that."

It was Yuki's turn to be confused. "What-"

Naruto grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along this time, still hiding his smile from her.

"Just come on. You'll see what I'm talking about soon enough."

Yuki followed along, curious to know what her friend was talking about.

* * *

"You want to transfer to Kaijō High?"

The disbelief in his mother's voice was clear, not that Naruto could blame her. It was the first time he was asking her for a favor, after all.

Yuki stood next to him, equally confused as his mother.

Naruto just nodded. "Yep. Coach said the paperwork would come soon."

They said something about wanting to make sure he was a part of the team before the Inter-High started, whatever that was. Honestly, there was so much to basketball than he'd thought.

Michiko massaged her forehead, her brown hair flowing down to her back. Her caramel eyes bore deep into Naruto's, trying to see if he was serious about this. He didn't normally come see her in her office, so this was definitely not on a whim.

But still.

"Why Kaijō? Your school now-"

"I want to play basketball."

The words came quickly, and they were said with confidence. Michiko stared at her son further before glancing to Yuki.

"Did you know about this?"

"E-Eh?" The girl quickly shook her head. "N-No, Kaga-sama. I'm just as surprised as you are about this…..."

And that was the honest truth.

"I came to this decision on my own, so you don't have to worry," Naruto said. It wasn't _exactly_ the truth, as Kise had all but roped him into the team. But Naruto wasn't complaining about that. For the first time since waking up from the hospital, Naruto found something to be excited about. He wasn't going to let this opportunity go.

"They always said teenagers are the spontaneous type," Michiko said under her breath.

Naruto simply rolled his eyes while Yuki lightly tapped his shoulder in disapproval. Rolling your eyes like that was just not proper, especially at your mother.

The widow tapped her fingers on her desk as she thought about the situation before finally speaking.

"I can't say I fully understand your decision for this, but this is the first time you seem to be excited about something. I can't let you lose your drive now that you've finally found it, so I accept your decision to transfer schools."

Naruto was grateful, and it showed on his face.

"Thank you, kaa-chan. You won't regret this."

The woman smiled.

No. She didn't think she would.

* * *

"Who's the hot babe with you, Uzumakicchi!?"

"That's the first thing you say to me? Seriously? I don't know if I should slap you or not."

"You didn't answer the question!"

"She's my friend, now stop talking."

"But she's a babe!"

"Urgh…..."

The others in the team were all amused when Kise practically hounded Naruto the moment he walked into the gym. This was because of Yuki standing next to him, said girl just looking plain confused by the whole interaction.

Kasamatsu had to calm his beating heart a little, though. He wasn't all that good around girls, being too shy when it came to members of the opposite sex. It was his one true weakness in this world. He could get Kise in line, but not talk to a girl.

Such despair.

"I'm glad you came." Their coach, Takeuchi Genta, smiled as he shook hands with his new player. "I was surprised with how quickly you sent back the paperwork, but that saves us a lot of trouble."

Naruto should be the one saying that. The man hadn't wasted any time in contacting his mother and sending her the official paperwork for his transfer into Kaijō High. It would still take a few days for the transfer to be official-official, but he was pretty much a member of this team now.

"It's no problem, coach. I'm more than happy to be playing with you guys."

"Right?" Kise, forgetting about Yuki for now, gave his fellow blond a wink. "You'll be able to fight with us now. The others won't know what hit them!"

The others, huh? Naruto had a feeling that Kise was referring to someone in specific, but he didn't question it.

For now.

"Well, there's a lot to do," Kasamatsu said as he joined the conversation. He did his best to not make eye-contact with Yuki, lest he start tripping over his words. "You say you don't know anything about basketball, right?"

"Yeah, well, about that." Naruto pulled out his phone, where he showed the captain message after message that he had gotten from Kise, who had pretty much stolen his phone so that he could put his number in. "Kise explained a lot of the rules to me, and even recommended some books for me to read. I can't say I know everything yet, but I think I have a better handle on it now."

"Wait a second!" Yuki suddenly interjected, looking at Naruto in disbelief. "You're telling me _you_ read books!? You never read books! Only manga!"

And Naruto wasn't ashamed of that one bit. "Yeah, well, books suck."

"I'm with you there." Kise nodded along, also thinking the same about books. "If it's not about basketball, books are boring."

"You only say that because your grades suck," Moriyama pointed out.

"School is boring, okay!" That was Kise's defense, and he was sticking to it.

It was Naruto who nodded along to Kise's words this time.

Yuki could only sweatdrop. 'Dear god, there's two of them…...'

And they were both blond too. What was this world coming to?

"Well, come on, people, let's get started." The coach turned to his team. "We have a lot to teach our new member, and not much time in which to do it. We have the Inter-High to win, let's not forget."

The Inter-High. The place where Naruto would have his shot to play against all the best schools in the country. For some reason, that got his blood pumping.

"Ah, what about you, miss?" Kise looked at Yuki while putting on his most pleasant smile. "Are you going to stick around?"

Yuki nodded. "Yes. It's my job to look after Naruto-kun, so…..."

Kise felt a stab go to his heart and fell to his knees. "So it's only for Uzumakicchi. I see. I've already lost, huh?"

Naruto really wanted to hit him right now, but thankfully Kasamatsu did that for him. He instead approached Yuki. "Are you sure you want to stay? You do have your own club after school, don't you?"

Yuki smiled. "Don't worry. I already told them I wasn't coming today. Besides, I'm rather curious to see how you do here."

Naruto was actually motivated about something. There was no way she was going to miss this. Not just that, but if Naruto was transferring schools, that meant she was too. She was more interested in seeing if she could make new friends around here.

"Also, I brought you a snack." Yuki pulled out a bento from her bag. "I made it in my club, so you can practice as hard as you want. It'll have you back in your feet in no time."

Naruto was hooked. Yuki was practically the best at cooking. No one could beat her. It's why she was the star member in the cooking club in their school. She prepared his lunch for him everyday, which only made every other boy in the school hate him for it. Yuki was _that_ popular in their school. Not that Naruto paid too much attention to such things.

"She even cooks for him!?" Kise felt to the floor once again, looking even _more_ devastated than before.

This time, he wasn't alone, as Moriyama was also mortified. "She's a total ten! A ten, I say! But…...but nothing can be done! It's like the heavens are playing a cruel trick on me!"

Naruto and Yuki both sweatdropped at this. Was this team…...really okay?

Kasamatsu was close to beating the two of them into a pulp by this point.

Let it be known that there was never a boring day at the Kaijō High basketball club.

* * *

To say Yuki was amazed was an understatement. It was a well known fact in their school that Naruto never got along with anyone. It wasn't because no one wanted to hang out with him, but because they thought he was unreachable. With the way Naruto acted, always sleeping in class or disappearing during breaks, he certainly didn't help stop that image. It just went back to the blond being bored. He didn't care about anything, so he didn't pay any attention to his surroundings.

But here, today, Yuki was able to see a different side to him. He was actually trying at something, and having fun while doing it. The others were the same too. Practice was tough, but none of them were complaining. It was the opposite. They were smiling and enjoying themselves, Naruto and Kise in particular. Even someone like her, an outsider, could see how quickly the two were becoming friends with one another. It was like they were communicating through basketball, if that made any sense.

As confusing as it was, it was still a beautiful sight to the girl.

The others in the team were more concerned with the plays the two blonds were coming up with on the spot. It's like they could read each other minds pretty well.

'This is the first time I'm seeing Kise play so well with someone else,' is what the coach was thinking as he oversaw the first day of training with Naruto on their team.

This opened a lot of possibilities for the future.

Practice ended on a high note, with everyone in high spirits. Well, they were, until Kise and Moriyama collapsed in despair again when they saw Naruto eating the bento Yuki had prepared for him. Everyone else just sweatdropped at the sight.

Yuki was simply all smiles and rainbows. "You did great, Naruto-kun."

The blond looked away, hiding his blush. "Yeah, I guess so. It was fun."

"Mhmm, more than fun I say." Yuki tilted her head. "I wonder if I could join the club too, after we transfer."

"Eh!?" Kise joined them, his face full of surprise. "You're joining Kaijō too? Why!?"

Yuki didn't understand the question. "Because Naruto-kun is?" She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which it was. To her.

Everyone just stared at the two. 'She's _that_ devoted to him…...?'

Lucky bastard.

Naruto twitched a little. 'I get the feeling they just misunderstood something here.'

Whatever. He didn't care enough to correct them. Besides, if it meant less people were hitting on Yuki, the better.

"Well, you're always welcomed to join," Kobori said with a pleasant smile. "I'm sure the coach wouldn't mind some more helping hands during the game."

Yuki smiled more. "Great! I'll definitely do that then!"

"Are you sure about that?" Naruto scratched his head. "If it's just for me, you shouldn't force yourself."

Yuki shook her head, her smile still present. "No, it's not like that. I just want to see you do your best. That's why it's no problem for me."

"I-Is that so?" Jeez, how much did this girl want to see him try his best? It was embarrassing.

"Alright, alright. That's enough of that." A ticked off Kise pulled Naruto into a headlock. "It's not fair if you're the only one getting some love here. It really pisses me off." Naruto was about to fight back but stopped when Kise loosened his hold and offered him a small smile. "Do you have time after practice? There's some stuff I want to talk to you about."

Did he now?

"It's not something stupid, is it?"

"Uzumakicchi, that hurts my feelings."

Naruto doubted that very much. Still, he wasn't about to turn the invitation down. Not when something in his gut was telling him that this was indeed serious.

He sighed. "Fine. We can grab something to eat while we talk."

Kise blinked. "Eh? Didn't you already eat your girlfriend's bento?"

Girlfriend?

Yuki looked away to hide her blush while Naruto shrugged.

"Yeah, but that was just a snack. I'm still hungry."

"How are you not fat?"

Naruto shrugged again. Yuki and his mother had been asking the same thing for a while now. It was just another mystery that would never be solved.

* * *

"How are you not fat!?"

"Don't be so loud. I want to enjoy this moment."

"Enjoy what!?"

"…...I'm starting to regret inviting you here, Kise."

The trio found themselves in a small ramen shop, which was more like a stand than anything else. It was completely different from what Kise had imagined when Naruto said they were going to dinner.

"You really shouldn't fight it," Yuki said, exasperated. "He loves this place. We've had to limit the amount of days he can come here per week, but it hasn't done anything to stop his appetite."

"You're speaking nonsense," Naruto scowled. No one could separate him from his ramen. That sure didn't stop his mother and Yuki from trying, though.

"Welcome!" The three teens made themselves comfortable in the little stand, the sky already dark outside. To Naruto, coming here after practice brought a greater sense of satisfaction than usual. He had worked hard today, so this felt like a reward.

"You know eating stuff like this on a daily basis isn't good for an athlete," Kise said with a shake of his head. He was still trying to understand how he got here. Eating ramen for dinner wasn't great for a model dammit.

"I haven't even been an athlete for a week yet, so cut me so slack," Naruto grumbled.

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Not to worry, Kise-san. I will make sure Naruto-kun starts eating more healthy from now on."

She was taking his side too!?

"Hehe, you have a very caring girlfriend, Uzumakicchi."

Naruto felt like he should correct that, but decided to get right to the main conversation of tonight instead.

"So what exactly did you want to talk to me about? Or was this just an excuse to ruin my ramen-eating time?"

"I didn't even know you liked ramen till now," Kise muttered. He put that aside. "But no, that's not what this is about. I wanted to talk to you about something regarding basketball."

"More rules?"

"Heh, no. Not that. It's something…...more interesting."

Interesting?

Naruto placed his order, as did Kise and Yuki. "What is it then?"

"Have you ever heard of the Generation of Miracles?"

"Nope."

"So quick!" Kise exclaimed.

But it was the truth.

"Hmm." Yuki hummed as she tapped her cheek. "I feel like I've heard something with that name before…..."

Naruto wasn't surprised. Yuki was more social than he was.

Kise's head dropped, a cloud of despair raining over him. "You guys are making me cry over here."

"I already told you I didn't know anything about basketball," Naruto said, not understanding what the big deal was.

"Ah!" Yuki almost jumped out of her seat. "I remember now. Some girls were talking about them in my club."

Wait, them?

"They're supposed to be this really strong middle school basketball team," Yuki explained when she noticed Naruto's questioning stare. "They were from Teikō Junior High. They should be in high school now."

"Yes, that's right!" Kise's eyes began to sparkle. "I knew you wouldn't let me down, Sugawara-chan!"

"Ah. Thanks?" Yuki didn't understand, but Kise looked happy. So that was good.

"And again, I ask, what's the big deal?" Naruto said as he scratched his head.

Kise sweatdropped. He was going to have to spell this out, wasn't he? He sighed softly.

"I'm one of them. One of the Generation of Miracles."

Naruto and Yuki looked at one another before staring at Kise who was looking at them with anticipation.

Were they…...were they supposed to react a certain way here or something?

Another cloud of despair settled over Kise. "You guys are seriously gonna make me cry."

"I apologize." And Yuki meant it too. "I just don't really know enough about basketball to understand what you mean…..."

Nor had she cared until Naruto got interested in the sport.

Kise chuckled as he rested his head on his open palm. "You guys are really similar, aren't you? I guess I can see why you're together."

Naruto just shrugged while Yuki tried to hide her blush again.

"We were the best team in middle school," Kise said, bringing the conversation back to focus. "No one stood a chance against us, and we won three consecutive championships because of our skills. But that's also what made basketball very boring to us. We had no motivation that could drive us forward. At some point, we weren't even friends anymore. Victory was the only thing that connected us."

"That sounds…...very lonely," Yuki said, her eyes downcast. "It doesn't sound like you guys were even a team."

"Well, I guess that's true too." Kise had to admit that much. "We won every game, but it also felt like we lost something too. That's what Kurokocchi said anyway. I still don't really get what he meant, but I feel like I'm starting to understand it better."

"Oh?" Naruto was surprised. Kise didn't seem like the thinking type, very much like him. But that was just a front. It was another thing they had in common.

"What about the rest of your teammates?" Yuki asked, curious.

"They went to different schools, like me. That's the thing I wanted to talk to you about." Kise looked at Naruto. "We all made a promise. To face one another in the court again, only this time as enemies. To see who's really number one. That's why I want you to take part in that fight too."

'Kise-san…...' Yuki never expected to see such a determined look on the boy's face. He was being serious about all of this. It really meant a lot to him.

Naruto was more straightforward with his thoughts. "I don't know what you expect from me, but if what you're telling me is to play basketball with you, then I'm all for it. You aren't the only one who's experienced boredom, Kise."

"Yeah, I could tell….."

Kise still remembered the first look he saw on Naruto's face when he met him on the street court. It told him all he needed to know.

Naruto grinned. "Then we understand one another."

Kise grinned back. "I guess we do."

To help one another with their boredom and with their ambitions…...it was very clear what they needed to do.

Yuki had to roll her eyes. They were leaving her out of something here, but whatever.

Boys would be boys.

* * *

The first week of training continued this way, with Naruto familiarizing himself more with the game and what not to do. It was a slow process at first, but he was getting the hang of it. It was during this time that Yuki officially joined the basketball club as well, as the coach's official/unofficial assistant. She did whatever she could to help the team, like bringing them all drinks, or fresh towels, and even preparing snacks for them to give them that extra push during practice.

The team considered her their princess, funnily enough. 'The Princess in Blue,' that was her moniker in the club. This only made them growl more with jealousy when Naruto got special treatment from her. Kasamatsu still had a tough time talking to her, though, much to Yuki's private amusement.

It was at the end of this first week that Naruto and Yuki both officially transferred over to Kaijō High. Which led to Naruto complaining about the uniform on the first day of class.

"Why the hell do we have to wear these things?" He was referring to the tie of course. The rest of the uniform didn't help lower his ire either. It was like he was going to a corporate meeting or something.

"Stop being such a baby," Yuki scolded him. She had the gray skirt unlike the trousers. Other than the tie that she had to wear too, it wasn't much different from the uniform of their old school for her. "You don't have to tie the tie so tightly. Besides, you're going to have to take over the family business someday. I suggest you get used to wearing suits and ties."

The thought of doing that was enough to make Naruto shudder. "Don't even joke about that. And anyway, I have you. I'm sure you can handle all that boring crap for me."

"E-Eh?" Yuki paused at that. Her, taking care of the company? B-But wouldn't that be like she was…...Naruto's partner? Wait, w-was this was she thought it was? A p-proposal? A _marriage_ proposal!?

Naruto sweatdropped when he saw steam coming out of the girl's ears, her face totally red.

'I don't get her.'

"Eh, what's this? Flirting so early in the day? You're gonna make everyone around you mad with jealousy, ya know."

Naruto gave Kise a flat stare as he walked up to them, also clad in his uniform.

"You have a weird imagination, Kise."

"Hai, hai." Kise gave the two a once over. "Seeing you guys like this really makes the whole thing feel official."

"T'ch, shut up. How can you even wear this stupid thing all day?" Naruto growled as he pulled on his tie again.

"Hehe, it's not so bad." Kise winked. "It's really stylish. Although I wish we had a better color."

Naruto sighed. He forgot. Kise was a part-time model, so of course he would enjoy crap like this.

"Whatever. Do you need something from us? This floor is for the second years, ya know."

"Ouch. Do you not want to see me or something, Uzumakicchi?"

"If I say yes, will I be able to take a nap faster?"

As Yuki slapped him in the back of his head for his bad manners, Kise laughed it off.

"Hahaha, you're really a funny guy, Uzumakicchi. So blunt. I kinda like that."

Naruto grinned. "I like that about myself too."

Yuki wanted to facepalm right about now. "Don't encourage him. You'll only be feeding into his bad habits more."

"But they're good habits, Yuki. You know that."

"I'll believe that when you start learning some manners, Naruto-kun."

Pfft. Manners. Overrated.

"My news are simple," Kise said, still amused. "We'll be switching things up for practice today. Consider it my declaration of war, if you will."

Declaration of war?

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I don't get what you're trying to say."

"Oh, you'll see later during practice." The model walked around them and waved them goodbye. "I'm really looking forward to it, Uzumakicchi."

Naruto watched him go and scratched his cheek. "He's weird."

Yuki poked him on the side. "You don't have any room to talk. I'm starting to think that you can only become friends with weird people."

"Eh? Then what does that make you?"

She smiled. "The exception to the rule."

Naruto pouted. She always had a good comeback ready for everything he said, didn't she?

Smart Yuki. Very smart.

* * *

Anticipation had slowly been building up inside Naruto as the day progressed. Kise was obviously planning something, and he couldn't way to see what it was. This only made him lose even more interest in his classes, much to Yuki's annoyance.

Good thing she couldn't slap him in the middle of class. Hooray for education! In that one instance. And yes, they were in the same class. His mother made sure of that.

When the two arrived for practice that day, they saw exactly what Kise had been planning.

"A practice match?" Yuki said out loud, looking lost.

"Yeah, it was Kise's idea," Moriyama said. "Something to spice things up. Those were his words anyway."

"You can't really trust what he says anyway." Kobori pointed at Kise who was having a small stare off with Naruto. "His true motive is clear as day."

Yuki understood what he was trying to say. Kise…...wanted to play against Naruto.

Naruto understood this too. "So that's what your big idea's all about."

"There's no reason to lie, so yeah." Kise wasn't afraid to admit as much. "I want to face you, to see who is better." His blood was telling him that Naruto was like the rest of them, like the Generation of Miracles. That's why he needed to do this, to test himself against him.

Naruto was more than ready to meet the challenge head on.

Kasamatsu, who stood next to the coach, crossed his arms and sighed. "I can't believe you allowed this."

The man grunted. "It's only natural. Kise seems to be eager to face Uzumaki. If the two of them can grow from it, I can't complain. You know as well as I do the type of competition we will be facing soon."

Yeah. The other Generation of Miracles. Those monsters…...

Kasamatsu sighed again.

'Might as well get the show started then.'

* * *

Yuki sat next to the coach as the two teams were picked. The first string was divided equally. On one side was Naruto, Moriyama, and Hayakawa. Nakamura was also with them, as well as a different player also from the second string. On Kise's side was Kasamatsu, Kobori, and two others from the second string. Naruto and his team were clad in white while Kise and the others were in blue.

"All of this was planned, huh." Naruto looked around at the others, who all shrugged.

"I didn't know anything about this until now, if that makes you feel better," Moriyama said. He was being honest too. Kise hadn't included them in this little plan of his. Only he and the captain had known. Probably.

"We (w)ill still win this (m)atch, no (p)roblem!" And of course, Hayakawa was his usual energetic self, with no one being able to understand what he was saying.

"Well, scoring a victory against Kise here would feel great," Nakamura admitted. He wasn't all that close to his junior, after all. He wouldn't say he disliked Kise, but he didn't outright like him either. "I'm not going to be getting my hopes up, though."

Naruto cracked his neck. "There's no need to say anything. Let your skills do the talking for you."

Of that, they were all in agreement.

Kise smirked as he locked gazes with Naruto. "That's precisely what I want. Come at me with everything you've got."

Naruto smirked in return. "Let's just hope you don't up regretting it."

The air around the two started to shift into something more potent, more stimulating. Even Yuki was able to sense this, and it made her feel a bit uneasy. She had never seen Naruto or Kise like this before.

Kasamatsu sighed at this. 'Stupid fools.'

This so-called practice match was going to turn more serious than that, he could sense as much.

It was time for Naruto and Kise to go head-to-head with one another.

* * *

"Eh? You're doing the tip-off, Uzumaki?" Kobori looked at his junior with surprise. Naruto didn't have the height for something like this.

Naruto smiled. "Don't worry about me, senpai. I'll make sure to keep up with you."

Kobori gave him a flat stare before looking over to Moriyama who just shrugged. Naruto said he wanted to do it, so they were letting him. If he failed miserably, it was all on him.

"Ha, you really are crazy huh, Uzumakicchi?" Kise said with his trademark smile.

Naruto didn't respond.

On the sidelines, Yuki already knew who she was cheering for. As much as she liked Kise, Naruto meant more to her.

For some reason, Kise felt like pouting.

Another player from the second string stood in between Naruto and Kobori as the tip-off was set to commence. There was only a few moment more moments of silence, with Naruto and Kobori sizing each other up.

Then, the tip-off was a go.

Naruto and Kobori both took to the air at the exact same time, timing their jump perfectly. But it was Naruto who got to the ball first, taking off faster than Kobori even though he was shorter.

'He's got great power behind those jumps,' the coach thought, recognizing this. It wasn't air time, but just plain explosiveness. But that was of no surprise. Naruto's whole body radiated power.

Naruto tipped the ball to Moriyama, who caught it with ease.

Kise wasn't surprised by this, and quickly made for defense while the rest on his team did the same.

Kasamatsu covered Moriyama while Kobori went closer to the hoop.

"Don't think we'll be going easy on you now," Kasamatsu said as he and Moriyama faced one another.

The playboy smiled. "I don't think our aces would like that very much."

Kasamatsu just grunted in acknowledgement.

No more words were said as Moriyama made to dribble past his fellow third year, a task that was easier said than done. Kasamatsu proved his worth in this area, keeping close to Moriyama at all times. With such a tight defense, Moriyama was hard pressed to get around him.

'Ha, there's no way I can compete with the captain here.' When it came to dribbling, Kasamatsu was one of the best, second only to Kise. Knowing this was a losing battle on his part, Moriyama went for the pass. The receiver of that pass was Naruto, with Kise right on him.

The whole gym quieted down when this happened, knowing that they were about to see something rare. Two very high skilled players facing off, who could carry a whole team if need be.

Naruto versus Kise.

Kasamatsu scowled a bit. "Did you have to do that so quickly?"

Moriyama was all smiles. "Well, they're the ones most eager to play this practice match, so it only felt right."

True enough, Naruto and Kise were glaring heatedly at one another, ready to move at a moment's notice.

From the sidelines, Yuki swallowed. 'This is the first time I'm seeing them go head-to-head like this…..'

Who would win this?

The coach kept quiet as he watched his two star players.

The tense air lasted only for a second longer before Naruto made his move. Just like in the park a week ago, Kise found himself on the receiving end of another set of unpredictable but rapid moves.

'This guy….he's gotten faster!' Kise thought as he tried to keep up, but with a quick crossover Naruto was able to get past him.

'Dammit, it's like I feared!' Kobori jumped to stop Naruto, but the blond was able to dunk through him without hesitation. It was almost like Kobori wasn't there! More importantly…..

"Is dunking all you can do!?" Nakamura shouted at the blond, who chuckled sheepishly.

"I like dunks?" What more could he say?

'Honestly, that's like the exact opposite of Midorimacchi,' Kise thought with a slight grin.

Kasamatsu came up behind him with a slap, scowling. "Why are you grinning like that for, idiot? He got past you, you know."

"Those hurt, captain!" Kise flinched before settling back down again, looking excited. "Yeah, he did. The way he moves…...it reminds me of the person I look up to. I guess that's why I want to take him on today, to see how I measure up. I _have to_ defeat him."

Kasamatsu let out a small h'mph. So that was his motive, huh? "Just don't embarrass yourself, and we'll be good."

Kise wouldn't dream of it.

* * *

The ball was live again, Kasamatsu leading the charge for his team for the counterattack.

"L(e)t's go, captain!" Hayakawa shouted as he marked him this time.

'So riled up.' Kasamatsu sighed internally before settling into one of his quick drives, dribbling the ball too fast for Hayakawa to keep up.

'One man isn't going to be enough for the captain.' Nakamura had been expecting this, which is why he was already standing by to come in for a steal after Kasamatsu went straight for his fast drive. After all, once Kasamatsu was on the move, he didn't have the reaction time necessary to stop himself from being flanked. The trick was getting around him without him noticing, which is exactly what Nakamura managed to pull off.

"What-!"

Kasamatsu nearly shouted when he noticed he lost the ball, courtesy of Nakamura who was already heading for a counter. The boy wasn't one of the best defenders in the league for nothing.

That said, Nakamura found trouble by the net as Kobori was already there, ready to defend.

'Shooting it now would be…...' Three's weren't his specialty, but going for a rebound wouldn't be such a bad idea either. They had Hayakawa on their team, after all. That gave him enough confidence to shoot and was more than happy to see himself score the three-pointer.

"Not bad," the coach muttered, glad to see that his team was tackling new horizons. Even if this was just a practice match.

Yuki just sat in silence for now.

"Looks like we aren't the only ones who are all fired up for this," Kise said, chuckling.

Naruto agreed.

The ball was on Kasamatsu's hands again, only this time he wasn't going to make the same mistake as before. Instead, he went for the pass, giving it to Kise with Naruto standing guard this time around.

'Another one-on-one…...' Moriyama stood near his mark, watching the two blonds in anticipation as did everyone else in the gym.

With the ball in hand, Kise went in aggressively, no real plan in mind. There was no need for that. This was a battle of emotion and raw strength.

Naruto kept up with the taller blond, using his lower size for better flexibility. But in the end, that proved to do little good as he was hit with a familiar move: the double crossover he had pulled on Kise the week before.

Naruto went wide-eyed at this as Kise got past him and delivered a powerful dunk of his own, dunking through the unnamed second string member of Naruto's team.

Kise touched down on the floor while giving Naruto a small feral grin.

"Don't think this will be as easy as before, Uzumakicchi. Or else, you'll be left behind."

Naruto was still wide-eyed, shocked to see his own moves turned on him like this.

'Kise…...' Kasamatsu was more surprised than shocked. Kise had already revealed to him that he couldn't copy Naruto's moves, something that had shocked him at the time. According to Kise, this was due in major part because Naruto was too unpredictable for that. But over the week, Kise had been working hard to change that, observing Naruto as much as he could during practice. And now, he was already beginning to show the fruits of his labor.

Yuki had her eyes wide too. 'It was almost like I was seeing another Naruto-kun on the court…...'

How incredible.

The others just watched on, not sure what to say or think.

The shock eventually left Naruto's system, and his burning desire to win only skyrocketed.

"You've really done it now, Kise."

This practice match was only starting.

* * *

 **As you can see, I added two OC's for this. You could say Yuki will be like Momoi, although they won't be fulfilling the same position for their respective teams. I just hope you guys like her. Michiko won't really be playing a major role in this, though.**

 **Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone (even though it's a day late), and a Happy New Year's too (since I'm more than likely won't be updating this until next year). I managed to get this out so quick because there was more support for this story than I had been anticipating, so I wanted everyone to have more to look forward to.**

 **Hopefully it was enjoyable. Reviews are always appreciated.**

 **Till next time.**


	3. The Promise

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2:  
** **The Promise**

Seeing your own moves turned against you brought a weird sensation to your heart. Naruto didn't know if he should be flattered, or annoyed. Well, he was definitely annoyed. But there was something else beyond that annoyance too. He couldn't quite describe what it was, though.

Excitement?

Delight?

No, that wasn't quite right either. It was more like…...hunger. Yes, that's it. Hunger. A hunger to prove himself further.

"You alright?" Moriyama asked and patted him on the back. "I know Kise copying your moves for the first time is jarring, but don't let that stop you."

Naruto's face turned feral, his whisker marks on his cheeks darkening. "It's not like that at all. If anything, this is how it should be."

Moriyama was taken back by this and was unable to respond. But that was obvious. What could he say when someone had a look like _this_ on their faces?

Naruto ignored the shooting guard and look over to Kise, who was already back with his team.

'That's right, Kise…...if you couldn't do this much, I would have been greatly disappointed.'

The ball was thrown in by the unnamed second string member, who tossed it straight to Naruto.

Kise saw this and began to smirk. "Want revenge that badly-"

He stopped when he took notice of the look on Naruto's face. It was almost like he was looking at a different person now. The best way to describe it was…...an unsatiated beast. The aura around him was potent, everyone else could sense it too.

"You're not the only one who laid out the groundwork for this match," Naruto told him, looking at Kise straight in the eyes. "I've been looking into your abilities too. You and your Generation of Miracles buddies. I'll admit it was Yuki who did the research, but because of that I'm able to face you more prepared today."

Yuki? Kise glanced at the girl for a second, surprised to hear that. He never would have guessed she had that side to her. Now wasn't the time for that, though, which Naruto proved as he suddenly dashed right past Kise without the taller blond being able to react in time.

'This is-!'

Leaving a gaping Kise behind, Naruto was met by Kasamatsu next, the captain deciding to face Naruto head-on this time. Naruto merely smiled as he passed the ball over to Moriyama, who was now open for his special move.

The Unorthodox shot.

Kasamatsu silently cursed when he saw the ball go in, right as it was intended. He had been too hasty back there, going after Naruto without thinking about the consequences. Not that he could be faulted for that too much. He had assumed that Naruto wouldn't bother to pass, much like Kise rarely did. Until recently anyway. That had been a bad judgement call on his part.

More importantly…..

"Was he moving faster just now, or was that me?" Kobori asked, voicing everyone's question.

Kise already knew the answer to that. "So that's your move…..."

Naruto stared back at him and offered the boy a small grin. "Your whole gimmick is that you can copy moves, right? I had a feeling you'd try that. That's why I've been practicing hard too. To show you that I still have another level. Don't think my skills are so cheap that you can borrow them without really working for them, Kise."

So that's how it was going to be then.

Kise returned the grin. "Fine by me. It would be boring if it were that easy anyway."

At least they had an understanding.

Yuki watched the two boys from the sideline, not knowing how she was supposed to react now. Trying to understand the two of them was going to be hard, she was beginning to understand that much at least.

And so, the practice match continued.

* * *

Kasamatsu had to watch how the practice match evolved into something of a slug fest between Naruto and Kise as the two continued to face off against one another, time after time. As much as he and the others wanted to join in, they understood very clearly that this was a fight that none of them could hope to compete in.

Not against these two behemoths.

"You're trailing behind, Kise!" Naruto shouted as he dunked through his fellow blond.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Uzumakicchi!" Kise responded in kind with a double clutch dunk, showing off his own power in comparison to Naruto.

"This is insane," Yuki muttered, unable to take her eyes off the continuous moves the two boys kept pulling out. She could barely keep track of them too. It was like they were always getting faster and faster.

"Heh, so it's just like I assumed," the coach said from where he sat next to her. "Naruto's growth is forcing Kise to grow as well. But I wasn't expecting _this_ level of blooming from Kise. He's shattered all of my expectations."

Not that that was a bad thing, mind you. Quite the opposite in fact. The coach couldn't be happier.

Yuki could sort of see that. Even with Naruto raising the stakes, Kise kept meeting them head on with his abilities.

'The Generation of Miracles…...I understand why everyone is so impressed with them now.'

If it meant keeping up with Naruto, who had always been the strongest person around, then Yuki was definitely impressed.

The blow-by-blow between Naruto and Kise continued with Naruto constantly upping his speed as Kise continued to follow. The whiskered blond once again got past Kise's defenses and went for the dunk, Kobori and Kasamatsu unable to stop the blond either.

Panting, Kise felt his frustration start to rise. 'Dammit…...dammit! There's no limit to this guy…...!'

Sweat was pouring down his face, but it was at an amount not normal for only the second quarter. It was obvious why, though. Continuously copying Naruto's moves like this…...they drained him faster than anything else.

'But if I'm going to win…..I can't stop here!'

He just couldn't.

The ball was live again, and it was tossed to Kasamatsu. With Kobori mostly in defense, Kasamatsu was the current best offensive choice other than Kise. That, and the captain had great dribbling and passing skills too. That's what made him so effective as the point guard.

Nakamura was facing him, ready to stop him. It was the best driver against the best defender. Who would come out on top here? The answer was obvious, which is why Nakamura made sure to stay close to Kasamatsu at all costs. A tight defense was the best way to deal with the captain's drive. Without enough space, he couldn't get it started.

That was his mistake.

Drives weren't the only thing Kasamatsu excelled at. He did a quick spin, which caught Nakamura off guard. With the spin, he was able to position himself at a great spot to shoot for a three.

Which he did, until Naruto arrived with a jump to slam the ball back down and onto Nakamura's hands.

Kasamatsu's eyes widened. 'Dammit, he was able to get into a blocking position so fast!'

Other than Kise, there was no way any of them could react to Naruto's speed in time. No, that wasn't entirely true, as Kise was still trying to keep up, but Naruto still had the edge in terms of speed.

Nakamura headed for the counter right away, but Kise came in with a quick steal, knocking the ball out of his hands before he could pass to Moriyama.

'We're even now, Uzumakicchi,' Kise thought as he went for his own counterattack.

Naruto was soon upon him, and the two settled into another one-on-one between them. Or so it seemed at first, until Kise went in with a fake shooting position. But in actually, he was aiming for a pass toward Kasamatsu, who quickly fired a three-pointer and shot it in successfully this time.

The court exploded into cheers, and even some bystanders were drawn in from the outside. Not that it mattered to either Naruto and Kise who were still eyeing each other down.

"You're not the only who can rely on his teammates, Uzumakicchi," Kise said through his pants. "Remember that."

Naruto smirked somewhat. "Eh? I gotta say, that surprises me a little. From what Yuki told me, you guys all preferred to rely on yourselves and no one else."

"I've had a recent change of heart."

Naruto was glad to hear that.

The ball was quickly brought back into the court as the match resumed, with the second quarter almost at its end. The score was 55-51, in Naruto's favor. It wasn't a huge lead, though, and it wouldn't take long for Kise to switch things around if given the opportunity.

Naruto wasn't going to let that happen.

Nakamura led the charge for their team in what was basically the last play for the first half. They needed to make this count.

"Don't let them score!" Kasamatsu shouted. Letting the point difference be any higher than it was would only be a pain in the ass for them in the second half of the match.

The two nameless second string members charged for Nakamura to meet him head on, hoping to stop him before he could make a play for his team. A double team against Nakamura would work well, since his dribbling skills were far from the best in the team.

'Shit, leave it to the captain to exploit my weakness like this…...'

They were seriously gunning for the stop right here and now.

Thinking fast, Nakamura managed to get the pass out to Moriyama, who was open. Catching the ball, the shooting guard made to shoot another one of his weird shots. That plan was quickly shot down when Kobori suddenly appeared in front of him, ready for the block.

"I'm not letting you do it!" the center shouted at the top of his lungs, ready to stop his friend.

Moriyama couldn't help but smirk. 'So quick…...you're serious about this too, huh, Kobori?'

Then they had to step it up as well.

Moriyama acted fast too and threw the ball for a pass to his right, just in time for Naruto to catch it. Said blond was already by the free throw line. Only Kasamatsu stood in his way to make the shot, and the two boys knew that Naruto was more than capable of getting past him, no problem.

Except Kasamatsu wasn't alone as Kise joined the play at the last second, looking more than ready to stop Naruto in his tracks.

"You're not getting through, Uzumakicchi!"

It was two against one, and in these circumstances Kise and Kasamatsu had the advantage. Naruto was not dunking through them.

They won the battle.

Only things didn't go that way either. Kise's eyes widened when he saw the small grin on Naruto's face. He understood right away what that meant.

'This guy…...he's not going to dunk…..!'

Kise instinctively jumped for the block while Kasamatsu was too slow to react to any of this. Naruto jumped as well, pulling his arm back. Kise's eyes lit up in recognition.

There was no doubt about it. He was going to use _that_ move.

Naruto flung his arm forward a second later, throwing the ball to the basket. His form was anything but normal, but it was still balanced. The basketball shot past Kise's fingers, the taller blond unable to stop it. The ball hit the rim, and for a second it looked like it wasn't going in. That made Kise a little hopeful, but that hope evaporated as the ball managed to roll into the net at the last second.

Yeah, it was clumsier than Aomine's, but it was still the same move. A Formless Shot. Naruto had just performed a Formless Shot.

The second quarter came to an end right then and there, but Kise was too excited to care. He looked at Naruto as more sweat dripped down his face.

"You're too crazy, Uzumakicchi. To think you could pull off one of those…..."

Naruto smirked. "Like I said, you're not the only one who's been practicing hard this past week. We're going up against your buddies in the Generation of Miracles, right? That's why I'll need more than just instinct to win."

Is that so?

"But right now, crushing you is more important. I'm sure you understand."

Kise did. Because he felt the same way.

* * *

"You're too crazy, Naruto-kun! You said you hadn't completed that training yet! What if you had missed!?"

"Eh, but I didn't. So it's all fine now."

"No, it isn't. You're always being reckless! Can't you think before you act? It would really help a lot."

"But Yuki-"

"But nothing! I don't even want to give you your snack now."

"Don't do this to me! I promise I'll be good! Just give me the precious!"

"Oh, fine. But only because you need your energy for the second half."

"Hehehe."

Moriyama was ready to pounce on Naruto, feeling jealous from all the attention he was getting from Yuki. Not just that, but he was also resting his head on her lap while she fed him lemon slices soaked in honey.

How was this fair!? This world was just a cruel and lonely place!

Yuki turned to them with a smile as she took out another plastic container filled with more lemon slices.

"Here you go, guys. I brought more than enough for everybody."

Nakamura accepted the container, surprised. "How did you know we would need these today?"

"I didn't. I was doing some research into what was best for athletes to eat to get their energy back without feeling bloated afterwards. And this turned up. I was gonna ask you guys what you thought, but then all of this happened." Yuki sighed and smiled, trailing her hand through Naruto's spiky hair. "You can never predict these things, I guess."

"We accept your gift regardless!" Moriyama managed to perk up after hearing that they could eat Yuki's cooking too. She might not feed it to them, but it was still better than nothing.

Nakamura sighed as Moriyama practically snatched the container from his hands. "One track mind, I swear."

"We s(t)ill need to w(i)n our match!" Hayakawa suddenly screamed. "Also, Uzumaki! I h(a)ven't been (a)ble to ca(t)ch any (r)ebounds b(e)cause of you! It's n(o)t fair!"

"…..did anyone else catch that?" Naruto said, struggling to understand what the boy was saying.

"Nada."

"No."

Naruto nodded as Yuki fed him another lemon slice. "Got it."

Hayakawa grumbled. He needed to catch more rebounds dammit! It's what he lived for! But with Naruto scoring from the inside and Moriyama making his three's, there was no room for him! It sucked.

Nakamura was more pleased with their performance, though, taking note on how well Naruto and Moriyama played off one another, even though they probably didn't realize it. Their offensive was solid thanks to the two of them.

'We can totally win this thing!' Being able to beat Kise...Nakamura couldn't ask for anything sweeter than that.

"Are you sure you can keep this up for the last two quarters?" Yuki asked Naruto with worry. "I know you were expecting this, but I thought Kise wasn't supposed to be able to keep up with you. At least, not yet."

"Then you've underestimated him too much, Yuki," Naruto said. He would shrug if he could too. "With a name like the Generation of Miracles, expecting this much from Kise should have been obvious. Otherwise, where's the fun?"

Yuki rolled her eyes at this. Leave it to Naruto to find amusement out of something like this. But still…...it was a nice sight. He was actually trying for once, and he was really enjoying himself. This was exactly what Yuki had been waiting to see for so long now.

"Well, just make sure you win, okay?" Yuki urged him on and poked him in the cheek. "If you win, I'll prepare your favorite tonight."

That was all the motivation he needed. He was totally winning this thing!

The others all nearly choked on their saliva when they heard this, though. Did Naruto and Yuki…...live together!? What the hell kind of romantic situation was that!?

'So not fair!' And of course, Moriyama was already crying his eyes out, cursing the gods for presenting such a horrific sight to him.

On the other side, with Kise and his team, the conversation among them was a tad more serious. They were facing an uphill battle here, after all.

"You sure you can keep doing this?" It was Kasamatsu who asked Kise straight up. There was no beating around the bush here. "You look like you're about to pass out."

True enough, Kise hadn't sweat this much in a long time. Probably not since his early days in Teikō. Or whenever he'd challenged Aomine to a one-on-one.

"I'm not about to let this match have an uncool ending like that," Kise said through his smile. That smile then fell a little. "Although, if I'm being honest, I underestimated him. I didn't think he would be this prepared."

And Yuki too. That girl had dug info on him and the others without telling anyone else on the team about it. That was just dirty right there. It only made Kise like her more, though.

"You're not the only one." Kasamatsu hadn't been expecting Naruto to get this good. That rang double for Kise, though. Having Naruto here had been a great boost to their team overall. That couldn't be denied. Naruto and Moriyama working well together was another surprise. These were only positives that would help their team in the Inter-High. Kasamatsu still wanted to win right now, though.

The coach sat in silence. He wasn't going to side with anyone in this match, which meant that he wasn't giving tips to anyone. He was still pleased with everything he was seeing, though.

Another whistle came, and the third quarter was about to begin.

Both Naruto and Kise stood up at the same time, the two ready to play once more.

* * *

The ball was thrown in, and the match resumed. This only excited those that were watching, club members and regular students alike. Neither Naruto nor Kise had noticed the ever growing crowd, though, too busy staring each other down. It made Yuki want to slap them really.

'Heh, well, we expected this,' Kasamatsu thought as he managed to sneak the ball through Nakamura's legs and finally get through his defenses. 'Kise has always been popular like this.'

Nakamura gritted his teeth in frustration but went right after his captain, keeping up the pressure. In these circumstances, Kasamatsu would go for the three, which he did. But Nakamura's tight defense prevented him from keeping his cool, and so the three missed.

"REBOUND!" Hayakawa was ecstatic as he jumped for the ball and caught it, finally getting the chance to do what he loved best. He did it despite the two unnamed second string members going for it too.

No one was surprised by this showing really.

With a grand shout, Hayakawa threw the ball all the way to the mid court line, right where Moriyama was.

'Again with this!' With a shout of his own, Kobori went for the jump to block Moriyama's shot right as the third year reached the three-point line.

"Calm yourself, Kobori!" Kasamatsu yelled out in warning, but it was too late. Moriyama performed a fake on the center perfectly, instead going for a pass and handing the ball to Naruto, who was able to get closer to the basket and jump for the dunk.

"Don't be thinking it's that easy, Uzumakicchi!" Kise was, of course, right there for the block, ready to prevent Naruto's dunk.

Naruto only smirked at this and brought his arm back, throwing the ball over his shoulders from behind. Kise's block was unable to stop this shot, with the arch being too high for him to reach.

The ball went right into the basket.

The two landed while still staring at the other.

"Looks like dunks aren't the only thing you can do, huh?" Kise said, although his face wasn't as bright as before. In fact, he was almost full on glaring at Naruto.

The Uzumaki took this in stride. Why? Because he already knew. Kise was double-faced. To those he respected, he was all friendly and bubbly. But to those he didn't, he had a habit of looking down on them. According to Moriyama, he used to be worse than how he was now, with Kise not really showing much respect to even those in the first string. Kasamatsu was the sort-of exception. Kise's habit was still inside him despite his recent change. In game, though, Naruto suspected that Kise's darker side was bound to come out, even if he was facing against someone he had come to respect.

It looked like he was right.

There was more cheering as the match continued, with Kise and Naruto facing off against one another multiple times throughout the third quarter. It was during this second half that Naruto unveiled his true love for dunks.

Kobori was knocked back in multiple occasions as Naruto continued to score despite his defenses, pulling off different kinds of dunks like the windmill and the double clutch.

"H(o)w am I s(u)pp(o)sed to c(a)tch reb(o)unds if you ke(e)p making th(o)se dunks!?" Hayakawa was not pleased by any of this.

"Idiot, let it go," Nakamura said, actually understanding the overly excited teen for once. "We're winning. Besides, less rebounds for us means more shots in. It's a win."

But…..the rebounds….

Still, this wasn't easy. Moriyama could already feel his legs wobbling. Trying to keep up with Naruto and Kise was one of the most difficult things he'd ever had to do. Those two were like unstoppable behemoths right now. No matter what they did on defense, they still made their shots. And the way they kept glaring at one another…..it just made everything else seem irrelevant.

'This guy has to be running on empty, though,' Kasamatsu thought as he looked at Naruto. 'He's been pulling dunk after dunk. His legs must be feeling the pressure right about now.'

Naruto didn't seem to be struggling at all, however. He was panting, but he didn't look like he was about to fall over.

The same couldn't be said of Kise, though. He could already tell. His body was very close to its limit. No, that wasn't exactly correct. His body _had reached its limit_ _ **.**_ He was running on willpower alone right now.

The ball came back on court, with it going over to Kise as Naruto positioned himself in front of him. This was like a never-ending battle between them, just the way they liked it.

Except…..that wasn't exactly the truth.

Kise charged forward, copying Naruto's speed again. The ball seemed to almost disappear to the onlookers, but Naruto could see it as plain as day.

Kise…...was slower than before.

With this weakness exposed, Naruto was able to slam the ball out of his hands, stealing it before Kise could react.

Kise's eyes widened in complete shock. 'No-!'

With the ball in his possession, Naruto charged with the counter as the rest tried to stop him. It was Kasamatsu who stood against him again, but instead of trying to get past him, Naruto simply tossed the ball over his shoulder and into Moriyama's hands. The shooting guard went with his Unorthodox Shot again, scoring another three points for them. Moriyama had no idea how many of those shots he could still take, but seeing Naruto and Kise going at it gave him the motivation he needed not to care.

He would keep making these shots until the end of the game if need be.

Naruto and Moriyama high-fived one another before heading back.

Kasamatsu was more concerned with Kise, though, whose right leg seemed to be twitching.

"Oi….."

Kise ground his teeth together in frustration, mentally cursing. This couldn't be his limit, could it? Not right now. But it was the unmistakable truth. His body just wasn't used to handling Naruto's level of speed and power yet. He was still too weak for that.

Fuck.

"Don't go thinking like that, idiot." Kasamatsu smacked the blond on the back of the head, nearly making Kise lose his balance.

"What was that for, senpai!?" the model cried out in pain.

"For being an idiot." Kasamatsu scowled and pointed at the blond. "How long do you think you've been copying Uzumaki's moves for? Just about the whole game, but you've kept at it. If you think that makes you weak, then maybe you need another kick to change your mind."

Kise quickly shook his head. "Y-Yeah, I think I'm good."

But having someone try to cheer him up…...Kise felt like kicking himself for that actually. It just wasn't like him. Getting down like this…...

A new wave of determination washed over him.

'I'll keep going to the end…..even if it kills me!'

Losing here just wasn't an option.

Kasamatsu eyed the score. It was 80 to 77. They were still down three points. Without Kise, there was no way they would be able to catch up. That's why he couldn't be allowed to doubt himself. Not right now.

It would all come to a head in the fourth quarter.

* * *

The third quarter came to an end soon after, and the two minute break followed. Naruto allowed himself a moment to relax as he sat next to Yuki who was looking at him with sunshines and rainbows around her.

"W-What's with you?" Naruto asked, feeling a bit freaked out by her mannerisms right now.

"Nothing~ I'm just so happy seeing you working so hard. That's all~"

That's all, she said. Sheesh.

Naruto was able to smile at this. "That's true. It's the first time I'm able to let loose like this."

Kise was a worthy opponent. Giving it everything he had was the only way to go.

"Are you sure you can keep keep going to the end of the game, though?" Moriyama asked him, still concerned with the way Naruto was pushing himself. "You've been in high gear nearly the whole game."

Naruto leaned back on the bench. "Don't worry about me. Above all else, I trust my stamina. I won't fall down from this."

He said that, but Naruto knew that he was already winded. Keeping Kise at bay all this time had done that to him. Taking it easy all these months had done its damage on him.

'Looks like I'm gonna need to increase my training after this.'

That worked just fine for him anyway.

"We should be more worried about Kise if you ask me," Nakamura said as Yuki handed him a towel. "From that last play, it doesn't look like he can keep going to the fourth quarter. That means Uzumaki is free to score as much as he wants now, right?"

"No." Naruto eyed Kise who had his head bowed for the moment. "We shouldn't be thinking like that. If anything, I have a feeling it's going to be the opposite."

"The opposite?"

"Yeah….." Naruto faced forward. "He's going to be more dangerous than before in the last quarter."

Nakamura didn't look convinced, but there was no more time for talk as the two minute break concluded.

The fourth quarter was finally here.

* * *

There were many girls from the school who were all waving and giggling at Kise, but the model paid them no mind. Not this time. He was more focused on his opponent right now. The two minute break had done little to recharge his body, but that couldn't be helped.

The last ten minutes would decide everything.

The ball was live and quickly in Kise's possession. Some would think this was a bad idea. Having Kise start playing right from the beginning of the quarter would only drain what little energy he had faster.

Kasamatsu wasn't one of those people, though.

'Just go ahead and crush him already.'

That was an order too.

Kise had to laugh softly at this before he erupted into a level of speed far surpassing anything he had shown so far. It was at a level that caught even Naruto off guard, which made him slow to catch up.

This gave Kise the opportunity he needed to go for the basket, even with Hayakawa set up for a block. Kise didn't go for the dunk this time, though. He showed his flexibility in his skills by aiming for a three, Kasamatsu-style.

The ball went in perfectly, thus making it a tie game now.

"I won't lose," Kise stated as he turned to face Naruto. His eyes were narrowed, full of focus. "I won't lose," he repeated. "Not again."

'This guy…...' Nakamura nearly cursed. This level of strength was just crazy. Naruto had said he was still dangerous, but this went beyond that.

Naruto on the other hand started to laugh. "Hahahaha! You're willing to bet everything in this game, aren't you?"

Kise was taking a big risk by pushing his body like this, but that didn't seem to affect him in the slightest.

"It's like I said in the beginning." Kise clenched his fists. "You're the one person I won't lose to."

Naruto tilted his head in respect. "Then I can't let you show me off, huh?"

On the sidelines, the coach had his eyes narrowed. He could tell that Kise was pushing his body far beyond its limits here. Letting him play like this could pose a problem for the team. If he got himself injured just for a practice match, it wouldn't do them any good. But still, he also knew that trying to take Kise out from this would be almost impossible. Not with that look in his eyes. Everyone else was also benefiting from the match too. Once they faced the other Generation of Miracles, he knew that they would be up against similar situations.

In the end, keeping quiet was all he could do right now. Things weren't in the red yet, so he could still afford to do that much.

'Kise, Uzumaki…..show me what you two can really do.'

The match was still in the air, but one thing was certain. Kise was stronger than ever before. It was a fact Nakamura, Hayakawa, and Moriyama all had to face as Kise quite literally ran circles around them. He was just too fast for them to do anything.

Kise made for the basket again, shooting for a dunk. The ball was slapped out of his hands at the last second by Naruto, who was once again looking more feral than normal.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Kise!"

Kise nearly growled but focused more on getting the ball back, as did Naruto who was right behind him. What happened after that was a repeat of the first quarter. The two went into a one-on-one against the other, without relying on any of their teammates. There was no need to by this point. They would only get in the way.

It was a fact Kasamatsu was forced to accept as he bore witness to the intense match-up between Naruto and Kise.

'Goddammit…...even if I want to join in, it's just impossible!'

He cursed his weakness, but also spurred Kise on.

"We're just getting started, Kise!" Naruto shouted as he performed another double clutch dunk on the model.

"I'm not done dealing with you yet, Uzumakicchi!" Kise returned the favor, pulling the exact same move perfectly.

It really was like they were two Naruto's on the court right now.

Yuki watched this on the edge of her seat, unable to take her eyes off the two boys. Even during team practice, they were goofy and laid back most of the time. But this…..it was like they were different people right now.

'No….maybe this is just who they really are….'

Did it scare her? A little, yes. There was no denying that. They were both intimidating, after all. But Yuki also believed in them too. She didn't know why. It was understandable to think that way about Naruto, but Kise? She had only known Kise for a week. That wasn't enough time to develop trust in someone.

Right?

'But even so, I still feel this way…...'

Yuki didn't know why, but she still supported the two of them.

"Kise!" Naruto slammed another dunk through Kise.

"Uzumakicchi!" Kise followed it with a dunk of his own, the two boys glaring heatedly at one another. It was almost like sparks were shooting between them.

Just how would this match end?

* * *

Kuroko Tetsuya looked up at the sunny sky over him. He was quite sweaty, but that was to be expected after another day of hard practice. Since he loved basketball, he didn't mind being sweaty. It was just something else that came with the sport, after all.

"What's with you? You look more quiet than usual, and that's saying something."

Kuroko's eyes traveled down to the other teen with him. He was much taller, and had a different hair color from him. It was Kagami Taiga, the new ace for Seirin High. It was through his help that Kuroko was finally able to defeat Kise for the first time, even if it had just been in a practice match.

"It's nothing. I just suddenly wondering what Kise-kun was up to."

"Kise?" Kagami wiped some sweat from his face with his t-shirt. He had come out here to get his face soaked in the water fountains to cool off. Kuroko had decided to tag along since practice was done for the day. "What made you think about him?"

"Hmm…..." Kuroko tilted his head in confusion. Why indeed? "I don't think I have an answer for that. It just happened."

Kagami twitched. This guy…...he still couldn't understand him all that much.

"Well, it doesn't matter, does it? We'll be seeing that guy in the Inter-High again, right? We can crush him there again."

Along with the rest of the Generation of Miracles. Then they could become the best in all of Japan.

Kuroko smiled and closed his eyes. It wasn't just about becoming the best, but also to get the others to acknowledge his style of basketball as well. Not just against Kise, but the other four too.

That time was nearly here.

* * *

There were probably enough onlookers in the gym to fill a small court as the practice match settled into its final plays. Seriously, where did all these people come from? It wasn't nearly this bad during their practice match against Seirin.

Kasamatsu allowed himself to smile a little. 'Not that I can blame them…..'

The way Naruto and Kise were playing right now…..it was almost like a beautiful performance was taking place in front of them. It still pissed him off that he was useless against such skills, though.

The fourth quarter was already down to its last minute, and the score was 96-96, still a tie game. This hadn't changed from the start of the quarter as Naruto and Kise kept budding heads with one another. If anyone else tried to make a shot, it was blocked. That's how crazy these two were going at it right now.

That being the case, Kise was ready to fall over, his body far passed its limit. His stubborn refusal to lose this match was the only thing keeping him standing now.

Naruto was also sweating a lot more than he had for the last three quarters. That's how hard he was going at it. Kise kept responding to every challenge he threw at him, though. Breaking him was no easy task.

Kise could say the same about Naruto.

The final minute of the game progressed.

In a surprising twist, Kise failed to connect with his dunk as Naruto managed to block the ball and stop it from going in.

"It's m(i)ne!" Hayakawa jumped into the air and grabbed the ball before Kobori had the chance to. It wasn't exactly a rebound, but he would take it.

"Counter!" Kasamatsu yelled as Hayakawa stormed for the basket. Dribbling wasn't his best skill, though, so many of the others were able to catch up and get in defensive positions, namely Kise. But as he got there, he winced as a terrible pain shot through his body, freezing him for a second or two. This gave Hayakawa the opening he needed to throw the ball over Kise's head and to the basket, where Naruto was already in the air to catch the ball.

"An alley-oop!?" Kasamatsu shouted in surprise.

Kise was just able to look up in time to see Naruto dunking the ball, all the while gritting his teeth in frustration.

Naruto made the play, and the score was now 98-96, in favor of Naruto and his team. There were only ten seconds left in the clock too. Just enough for one final play. Could Kise make a comeback? His body was telling him no, but his spirit was singing a different tune altogether.

"It looks like you haven't given up yet," Kasamatsu said as he stood next to Kise.

"No way. Even if every cell in my body is screaming in pain, I'll still move." Kise narrowed his eyes. "It's the only thing I can do."

Kasamatsu t'ched. "Then go ahead and do that already, idiot. It's now or never."

Kise could only nod.

"They're coming for the counterattack!" Nakamura said, pushing his glasses back up his nose to keep them from falling over. "We need to stop them!"

That much was obvious. Letting Kise score now would just be the worst.

As tired as they were, both offense and defense were ready for the final play of the match. There was no overtime. One way or another, this was the end. They drowned out the excited chants and screams from the onlookers, focused solely on each other.

If Kise wanted to win this, then there was only one course of action he could take.

Kasamatsu threw the ball in, right at Kise's hands. Kise lunged forward, scurrying right for the basket.

'So straightforward!' Moriyama thought, but if this was how they wanted to do it, then so be it.

Naruto rushed to defend and stopped Kise before he could get past the free throw line.

Kise made for the drive but stopped at the last moment. His legs weren't responsive anymore. They had failed him at the last possible second.

But still. He wouldn't lose!

Naruto looked as Kise brought his hand back and made a pass instead of a shot at the basket, with the ball heading straight for Kasamatsu again.

'So that's how it is!'

They were going for a three.

Kasamatsu was poised to take the shot when Nakamura suddenly lunged in the air with a shout.

"I won't let you!"

Kasamatsu was too late to stop himself from shooting, though, and the ball left his hands. As it turns out, Nakamura was just in time to touch the airborne ball with the tips of fingers. It wasn't much, but it accomplished more than enough. Kasamatsu scowled in frustration when he saw this.

There was only one outcome for his shot now.

The ball hit the rim, missing its mark. It was a rebound.

Hayakawa was more than happy to scoop it up as he jumped for it, but right as his hands converged around the ball, Kise snatched it from his grasp.

"Wha-!" Hayakawa was flabbergasted at this. He rarely if ever lost rebound battles. But Kise had just bested him. And the others could see why.

Kise was copying Hayakawa's moves now. Kise's whole body was screaming in pain, telling him to stop. But he couldn't. Not just yet. He still had one last thing to do.

With a great shout, Kise jumped back up for the dunk, only it was Naruto who came up right behind him, ready to put a stop to the whole thing. The two clashed in midair, each trying to take control of the ball from the other.

It all came down to one last battle of strength, and it was a battle Kise already knew he couldn't win. Not with his weakened body.

That's what his bluff was all about.

Kise smiled as he pulled his arm back, ball still in hand. Naruto was not expecting this, nor was he expecting for Kise to pull out a different move in his arsenal.

It was Naruto's move, the one he had used earlier to trick Kise in the second half. Now, it was Kise's turn to use it to trick him.

With his arm behind him, Kise tossed the ball over his shoulder and right over Naruto's arms where the Uzumaki was unable to block it. Naruto had explosive power, which he could use to jump higher than someone from his stature would usually be able to. However, he didn't have the air time needed to stay in the air to block this kind of shot.

It was the same way for Kise, which is why the shot went in, just right as the buzzer went off. The points counted, and the score was 98-98.

The game ended the same way the second half had started. It was a draw.

* * *

There was an air of excitement still hanging in the air as the crowd of students began to disperse from the gym. Even though the practice match had ended in a draw, they were still more than satisfied with everything they had seen.

It had truly been an intense game.

Inside the gym, both Naruto and Kise were sprawled out on the floor, both exhausted. Kise more so, but Naruto was still feeling a wave of exhaustion from going all out since the first quarter.

"Jeez, you two are ridiculous," Kasamatsu said as he and the others stood over the two tired blonds. "Going that hard for the whole game would have killed anyone else, ya know."

Naruto chuckled. "It's a good thing we're not other people then."

Smartass.

Yuki knelt next to Naruto and patted him on the head. She didn't mind how sweaty he was. She was too happy with today's performance for that.

"Good job, Naruto-kun."

The blond simply blushed a little and closed his eyes. Being congratulated like this…...it felt good.

Kise pouted when he noticed this. "Now that's not nice, Sugawaracchi. I tried hard too!"

Sugawaracchi?

Yuki sent him a smile. "Of course, I'm proud of you too, Kise-san. It was a great game!"

The model beamed. "Aaahhh, it feels good to be congratulated like this."

Naruto t'ched and nearly started cursing at Kise. People always wanted Yuki's attention. It wasn't fair dammit! And no, he wasn't jealous. He was just...protective, that's all.

"It was indeed a spectacular game," the coach said as he joined his team. He looked down at his two best players. "Kise. Uzumaki. You both performed beyond my expectations. If you play this well in the Inter-High, there's no way we can't win."

Naruto gave the man a thumbs up as well as a large grin.

"You got it, coach!"

Kise grinned too. "We won't let you down!"

Moriyama chuckled. "Not very convincing when you're both on the floor like that."

"Yeah, they look like worms or something," Nakamura said while Kobori looked amused. Even Hayakawa seemed to get behind that description.

Both Naruto and Kise glanced at one another, feeling betrayed.

Their team was harsh.

Yuki simply smiled and giggled softly. In her mind, this was already a good team.

It's where she and Naruto belonged.

* * *

"But man, I still can't believe we tied. I was totally serious about crushing you today. I was looking forward to it all week! Not only that, but it was another 98 point game. That's the same scored I had when I faced Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi. Is that number haunting me or something?"

"How should I know? More importantly, why are you following us? Don't you have something else to do?"

"Naruto-kun! That's rude!"

Kise laughed it off. "Still blunt, huh." He then shook his head. "But I'm serious! Don't you feel dissatisfied with today's result?"

The three teens were walking down the street now that the practice match was finally over. Naruto and Yuki were heading straight home since the girl had promised to cook Naruto's favorite meal tonight. His stomach was already growling in anticipation for the meal to come.

Kise had decided to tag along with them for whatever reason, much to Naruto's annoyance. He needed food, and he needed it right now dammit! Delaying it any further would just kill him!

Still, he decided to humor the model and said, "While I was serious about crushing you too, it can't be helped. It just means I'll have to try harder to beat you next time."

Get faster and stronger…...heh, that was a piece of cake.

"That's how I feel too," Kise admitted with a smile. "But I think that's going to have to wait a while. The next stage of our battles will be at the Inter-High, where we're going to be meeting the others. Doesn't that make you excited!?"

It did. There was also this Kuroko and Kagami to consider. Kagami wasn't part of the Generation of Miracles, but apparently he and Kuroko had managed to pull a win on Kise and the others in the first-string. According to Kasamatsu, though, Kise was now a completely different player from then. He probably wouldn't lose to Kagami or Kuroko now, unless those two were many times stronger than a week ago.

"The Inter-High," Yuki said softly. "It will be a tough competition, won't it?"

She already knew what the other Generation of Miracles could do from magazine articles and hearsay from other people who had watched them play in the past. But they were bound to be a lot different than they were in middle school. Kise's growth proved this to be true.

"It's no big deal," Kise said as he turned to look at Naruto. "It's just like the coach said. We'll win, and then we'll be number one, right?"

Naruto smirked. "Damn straight. I don't care about any fancy titles. I'll be sure to defeat them all, no matter who they are. That's a promise."

Kise raised his fist bump toward Naruto while smirking. "Yeah, it's a promise."

Without thinking about it, Naruto returned it, striking his fist against Kise's.

Yuki watched this silently and just smiled. Her fears were pretty much gone now. When she saw Naruto and Kise together like this, it just filled her heart with ease.

They were definitely going to win, and that's that.

* * *

 **All the support the last chapter received spurred me to finish this chapter before New Year's. Is that great or what? Totally great.**

 **I'm sure everyone's already noticed it by now, but Naruto won't be OP in this story. You can say he's even weaker than his normal base form in the war because he hasn't been training all these months, and it's come back to bite him in the ass. While he will definitely get stronger, he won't get so strong that no one can pose a challenge for him. That would be boring. He's already enough of a threat to the other Generation of Miracles as it is, so trying to make him indefinitely stronger would just be ridiculous.**

 **Kise is also much stronger than he was in canon at this point of the story. That's because, as explained, having Naruto around caused him to bloom faster. To me, it only felt right to include that.**

 **That's pretty much all I got. Hopefully I didn't make any major mistakes, but if I did, I'll be sure to fix that in the future.**

 **Till next time, and happy New Year's to all.**


	4. Inter-High

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3:  
** **Inter-High**

Waking up in your bed without knowing what time it was…...few moments could match something as wonderful as this. That was no exaggeration either. It was like you were resting on the clouds, or whatever else looked soft. Naruto couldn't think of any other examples. Not right now. Not when he was slumped in his bed, sleeping the day away.

It was Saturday today, which meant no classes. Today had also been marked as a day off from practice. The coach wanted them well-rested for the preliminaries of the Inter-High. Kasamatsu had explained to them how the tournament was set up, but Naruto had mostly tuned the older teen out. He got bored easily like that. He understood the gist of it anyway, so paying attention to every little detail was redundant.

Anyway, it was a day of pure laziness for him. Naruto knew that, once the Inter-High got started, he wouldn't have many days like this. If at all. The main tournament went all the way into the summer, so even when classes were done they would still be working hard. They were definitely making it to the main tournament. That much was a fact.

How did Naruto know that? Because the true challengers were at the main tournament of the Inter-High. According to Kise, none of the other Generation of Miracles were in their district. So if they were going to face them, it was at the main tournament.

But that was for later. Sleep now, crush those guys later.

Aaaaaahhhhh, this was the life. Nirvana. Nothing could come close. It was a-

"NA-RU-TO-KUN…...,!"

Oh boy. That was his name…...and called out slowly to emphasize the seriousness of the situation. This could only mean one thing.

Yuki was going to force him out of bed.

Damn, what a cruel world.

His guess turned to reality when the girl practically kicked open the door to his room. Oh, and did he mention his room was big? Like, needlessly so? Naruto had told his mother that he didn't need so much space, but she hadn't bothered to listen. She was always like that. Spoiling him even when he didn't ask for it.

…..where was he again?

Ah, right. Yuki. In his room. Angry. Angry Yuki in his room. That was the gist of it.

The girl flipped the light switch on, causing Naruto to duck under his covers. He had closed the curtains on his windows for a reason. He didn't need to be bombarded with light right now. That would just be a pain.

His wishes went unanswered as Yuki removed the cover over him with one pull. Despite her looks, the girl had some strength on her. It was yet another thing Naruto liked about her.

Speaking of Yuki, she was dressed in more casual clothes today. No school today meant that he got to see her like this. A privilege of their friendship. She wore a light blue floral dress that reached down to her knees and brown short heeled ankle boots. It was a simple outfit, but she looked good in just about anything.

Ah, that was a thing Naruto had asked her to do when they were at home. She could wear her regular clothes. Even though she was a maid and thus practically an employee when she was in the house, she didn't look the part. That's because Naruto didn't consider her a maid. Not since _that_ day.

More on that later.

But because of this decision, it had caused many of the other employees to wonder if he and Yuki were more than just a maid and her "master." Naruto had heard some of the rumors going around, that Yuki had seduced him so that she and her father could rise in society. It really pissed him off, and the only reason he didn't do anything about it was because Yuki didn't seem to care. If she didn't care, then there was no reason for him to get involved.

Her father would often glare at him when he thought he wasn't looking, though. Whatever that was about.

"Jeez, what time do you think it is!? You need to get up!" The girl didn't bat an eye to seeing him in his underwear. She was practically used to it by now. The first time had been hilarious, though. She had blushed harder than any other time in her life. Too bad he didn't have a camera ready at the time.

Groaning, Naruto scratched his hair, still refusing to stand or even sit up. "That's the whole point of a day off, Yuki. You try to do nothing. That's the only way to truly relax. Besides, shouldn't you be happy? It means less for you to do too."

Yuki picked up some of his clothes off the floor while shooting him a glare.

Oh, shit. There it was. Her infamous glare. Her eyes turned even colder than normal when she did that. Like, it was almost as if she had ice stored in her eyeballs or something. Naruto could practically feel himself turning colder just by looking at her.

Not a good sign for his "do nothing and stay in bed all day" plan he had come up with. He had even managed to ignore all of Kise's calls too.

Again, what a cruel world.

"Don't start with me. You already know that Kise-san invited you out today."

"And?"

"It's the first time a friend has asked you out! You should be happy!"

He was happy…...in bed. Saying that probably wouldn't be good for his health, though.

"I can't keep up with that guy's enthusiasm," Naruto muttered. "I thought I was annoying, but that guy has a motormouth. Almost makes me feel kinda bad about all the times I rambled on about the greatness of ramen to you."

Almost.

"I swear, sometimes you make me feel so frustrated." Yuki sighed as she placed Naruto's dirty clothes in the basket in his room. It wasn't laundry day today, so no need to take them downstairs. "I'm guessing you haven't even seen the video that's out about you and Kise-san."

Cue eyebrow raise. "There's a video on us? What?"

Yuki nodded. "Yeah. It seems someone was recording your practice match from a few days ago. They uploaded it yesterday, and it's gained quite a traction. It's almost reached a million views by now!"

Seriously? What the hell kind of situation was this? It should also be noted that Naruto would have never learned about this unless Yuki told him. He and technology didn't quite have a good relationship. No, that was being too nice. Naruto downright hated technology. He could use his phone, but that was only because of necessity. Even still, he only used it to call and text. Apps and other stuff like that were beyond him. Computers were worse. It was almost like he had never used them to begin with. It was frustrating. He had to wonder how his past self had managed to use those things.

Yuki went and grabbed his laptop from another pile of clothes. The sight was enough to make her twitch.

"Is this why you haven't let me clean your room for the past week?"

"I haven't let _anyone_ clean my room for the past week," Naruto corrected. "I like it this way."

"It's a pig sty."

"It's _my_ pig sty."

Yuki shot him a pout, which he ignored. Otherwise, he would be crumbling to her demands faster than a newborn baby crapping his diaper.

"Just show me the video already," Naruto said as he picked up a t-shirt from the pile of clothes. It didn't smell, so that was good enough for him.

Yuki ignored him for the moment as she set out to find the video on his laptop. It didn't take her too long to do so and showed it to him. Naruto peered over her shoulder to watch the video. It was definitely recorded by one of the students who had shown up to watch the game. The angle proved as much. The video started from sometime around the third quarter, with plenty of cuts. It only showcased the "best" plays of him and Kise.

"Huh."

"That's all you can say?" Yuki asked him as the video ended. "Shouldn't you be more excited? More people will know about you now!"

"It would have been better if the opposite happened. No one would know me, which would make them underestimate me, and then I could strike as a secret weapon." Naruto fell back to his bed. "Now my dreams have been crushed. So crushed, that I don't think I can get out of bed today. Just leave me to my misery, Yuki."

"Oh, you're not pulling this on me!" Yuki quickly caught on to his game and poked him on the side. "Kise-san has been trying to get in touch with you all day today, and he said you've ignored all his calls and texts. Why do you have to be so rude?"

Hold up.

Naruto sat up just enough to look at Yuki in the eyes. "How do you know about that?"

"Because Kise-san contacted me, duh."

Okay, a more direct approach then.

"And how exactly did he do that?"

Yuki looked confused. "Because we traded numbers?"

And there it is! The two of them could now work together against him like this. He should have just locked the door to his room-no, wait. Yuki had the keys to his room.

Dammit. There was no escaping this.

"Now take a shower and get dressed," Yuki ordered him. "Kise-san is waiting outside for us. We can't be rude guests, now can we?"

Naruto wished he could, but that probably wasn't an option.

* * *

"You son of a bitch, you have a lot of nerve disrupting my sanctuary."

"How mean! You're terrible, Uzumakicchi! If I didn't know any better, I would say you didn't want me here!"

"What gave you that impression?"

"Naruto-kun, manners."

A sigh. "…..hai, hai."

A crying Kise was now standing in the kitchen with a yawning Naruto and a glaring Yuki. Kise sported a red t-shirt with dark green cargo pants. Naruto was in an orange t-shirt with black shorts. It was just the comfortable thing to wear now that the summer heat was starting to hit.

"I can't believe you left me standing out there for an hour," Kise said through his animated tears.

Naruto had no remorse. "You're the one who had to bug me on my day off. Believe it or not, I like my sleep."

On the side, Yuki was still glaring at him, but he did his best to ignore that. He was probably going to have to treat her to dinner for this.

"I couldn't help it!" Kise was the most excited one here. "Did you see the video already!? Sugawaracchi showed it to you, right?"

"Is this what this is about?" Naruto sighed and went for a drink in the large refrigerator. "Why are you so excited about it?"

"Because it means everyone else must have seen it too!" Kise's face was like that of a child on Christmas. "Now they'll know that we mean business!"

"Yeah, but isn't that like bad?" Naruto said, pouring himself some orange juice. "Now the other teams we'll know what to expect from us."

Well, it wasn't like they had used _all_ their moves in the practice match, but still.

"Uzumakicchi, don't you want to have a fair and straight fight against the others?"

"Sure, that sounds fun, but crushing your enemy with a surprise attack is fun too." Naruto grinned. "Seeing their faces when they realize they've been caught in a trap is pretty sweet."

Kise gawked at his words while Yuki shook her head. "Sorry about this, Kise-san. But this guy has a pretty mean streak to him."

Another reason why no one in their old school would approach Naruto was due to his pranking habits. Anyone that crossed him would be on the receiving end. Worse still, no one could prove it was him, but everyone knew it had to be him. He was the only one crazy enough to pull off such crazy stunts. Yuki knew some of his victims had deserved it, like some third-years that had tried to bully him just to look tough. But there was such a thing as going too far, at least in her mind. Naruto wasn't of the same opinion.

Kise quickly got over his gawking and smiled. "Well, that aside, I'm still excited about all of this. The Inter-High is going to be so much fun."

Yuki looked at the part-time model. "Kise-san, are you really okay fighting against your former teammates? Some people would find that difficult to do. You guys were on the same team for two years, right?" That was something that had been bothering her ever since Kise had told them about his promise with the other Generation of Miracles.

"We already promised to do just that," Kise answered and shrugged. "There's nothing more to it than that. This will be the first time we can all go against one another, to see who's truly number one. With the way things are, Midorimacchi and Aominecchi will go against one another first. Well, unless Kurokocchi gets in the way."

"Hm?" Naruto joined them with his drink in hand. "How's that?"

Yuki almost groaned. "Did you not hear Takeuchi-sensei and Kasamatsu-senpai talking about the schedule of the preliminaries?"

"…...maybe?"

"Naruto-kun…..."

"Alright, alright. I wasn't listening. Don't look at me like that." Naruto took a step back from the scowling girl, trying to stay away from her glare.

Kise laughed at the sight. It was just too funny.

"The schedule for all the preliminary tournaments were made public, Uzumakicchi. Both Seirin and Shūtoku are in Block A for the preliminaries. That means only one of them can advance to the final league before the actual Inter-High."

"From what I gather, Tōō Academy will more than likely win Block B," Yuki said, picking up the explanation from here. "No other team in that block has a chance against them. That's why, whoever wins Block A, will meet them in the final league. It's bound to happen."

"Eh?" Now that made Naruto curious. He wanted to see what kind of player this Kuroko was. He had earned Kise's respect back in middle school, so that was more than enough for Naruto to want to know what the guy could do.

'This Kagami dude sounds promising too…...'

Most of all, Midorima and Aomine. The shooter and the ace for the Generation of Miracles, respectively. Naruto was more than ready to take on either one. Or both. Both would be better. But for that to happen, they would have to get to the actual Inter-High tournament first.

"It sucks that we aren't in Tokyo," Kise pouted a little. "We'll have to wait a bit before we can get in on the fun."

There it was again. Kise's dismissal of anyone else as a threat. While Naruto was pumped to face against the other Generation of Miracles, he wasn't brazen enough to let his guard down against the other schools. Anything could happen, and there might be some good competition there. He didn't know. Yuki had told him that Kaijō was considered the strongest school in this region by far, and with him and Kise on the team now, they were stronger still.

Hopefully something interesting happened during their preliminaries. Otherwise, this tournament could become boring real quick.

Those thoughts were pushed aside as Naruto noticed another person suddenly walk into the massive kitchen.

It was his mother.

"Kaga-sama." Yuki instantly bowed, showing her respect. She didn't look surprised by his mother's sudden appearance. But she should be. Even on the weekends, his mother spent her days working. It wasn't until the afternoons that she came around to spend time with him. Surely it couldn't be _that_ late already, could it?

Maybe he had been sleeping longer than he realized.

"Wipe that expression from your face, boy." Michiko walked around Yuki to engulf him in a hug while Kise just watched on. "I came here to surprise you."

"Uh…..." Naruto didn't know what to say to that. Surprise him? That never happened.

"I've heard about your new friend, so I came to see how things were for myself," she elaborated after seeing his dumbfounded expression.

The blond shot Yuki an annoyed look, which she ignored. It was her way of paying him back for ignoring her earlier.

Devious girl.

Kise finally caught on to what was happening and grinned. "So you're Uzumakicchi's mother. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I'm his best friend, Kise Ryota. Part time model, all time basketball player!"

What a crappy introduction. And wait, best friend? When did that happen?

"So you're the one, huh." The woman turned to the boy with a smile of her own. "I'm glad to see that my son is finally socializing. Can't enjoy your youth with only one friend."

Naruto disagreed, but his opinion probably didn't matter right now.

"I can totally understand that." And Kise was just going along with it.

Goddammit, Kise.

"I'm guessing you must be in the basketball team as well."

Kise nodded. "Of course. Uzumakicchi and I are the star players for our school. We'll become the number one team in Japan."

Saying their ambitions just like that…...damn, how embarrassing. At least, Naruto felt embarrassed. Probably because it was his mother.

Yuki just giggled at his suffering. She was totally enjoying this, the evil girl.

"Hmm, I'm glad to hear that. My son has been lacking ambition for quite some time now. It's good to see that he's hanging around people who can turn him a new leaf."

Oi, he wasn't a social experiment dammit!

"But come, I'm very curious to hear more." Michiko was all over Kise, dragging him out of the kitchen. "Yuki informs me it's your day off today, so I want to hear everything you have to say about your future plans."

So this was their scheme, huh. Get Kise to spill the beans. Yuki and his mother, these two evil women had planned against him. He would be impressed if only he wasn't the victim here.

As a laughing Kise followed Michiko out of the kitchen, a bemused Yuki dragged the grumbling Naruto after them.

They had a whole day to spend together.

* * *

True to Kise's words, the video of the two blonds facing off against one another had spread across Japan like wildfire. It wasn't everyday you got to see such a contested game involving two skilled players, and people were loving it.

However, this video also brought troubling news to many people who saw the skills the two possessed. None more so than the players from Seirin High.

"What the hell is all this, man!?" Koganei, the resident cat-like student in the team, moaned in despair after seeing the video one of the first-years had brought to the team He and all the other members of the club were in the gym, where they had finished watching the video of Naruto and Kise's match from a few days ago.

"This kind of improvement is insane!" Tsuchida cried out. Notably, he was the only member who was currently dating someone. You go, man.

"The Generation of Miracles are something else," Izuki muttered. He was the resident "pretty boy" and self-proclaimed pun master. Not that many of his puns were that good, but that's a story for another time.

"Idiots, that's not the only thing that's concerning," Hyūga said. He was the captain and also the best shooter in the team. "That other guy, whoever he is, he's just as good as Kise is."

The implications of those words was more than enough to give pause to all the other members. It was like Kaijō had two Generation of Miracles in their team. If they were tough before, now they were on a whole different level.

Kuroko stayed quiet, although his face was troubled a bit by this turn of events. He had never expected that there would be another player this good out there. To be able to rival the Generation of Miracles like this…..not only that, but Kise's growth had also shocked him a bit. He had already been impressed with how the model had improved since middle school. Now, he was growing even more.

It was spectacular, but also worrisome for them all.

"Ha, what difference does that make?" Kagami wasn't looking all that troubled. It was the opposite really. Unlike the others, he looked very excited. "This just means there's another guy out there we have to beat next time."

The others all sweatdropped. Did nothing faze this idiot, or what?

Riko, the coach and sole female member of the club, got her act together and faced her team. "Kagami-kun is right. We can't let this stop us from getting into the Inter-High. We have a bunch of other teams we have to worry about before we can start thinking about Kaijō and this new player of theirs."

She said this, but she already knew that _not_ thinking about it was just impossible. At the very least, it was going to be a big worry in the back of their minds moving forward. The Generation of Miracles were worrisome enough, but this development was just a pain in the ass.

"Suddenly, all my motivation is gone," Fukuda, one of the first-years, said with his shoulders slumped.

Kawahara, another first-year and the one to show the others the video, looked worried. He hadn't meant to bring the mood down, but he still felt the others should know about this. Maybe he should have kept it to himself?

"That's enough of that!" Hyūga took charge as he walked over to the court in the gym. "We already knew we were fighting an uphill battle to begin with. This changes nothing! We'll still be the best in Japan. You hear me!?"

The others all stood up straighter. "Yes, sir!"

Riko just looked on, happy to see Hyūga acting more like a captain. It's exactly what the team needed right now. Leadership.

"Kagami-kun." Said ace looked down to see Kuroko staring at him. "How do you feel about this?"

"Huh? Do you really need to ask?" The dark haired teen smirked. "Kise and this new guy. We're going to defeat them both of course. Our goal is still the same."

It was like their captain said. To become the best in Japan. Nothing would stop them from reaching that goal.

A small smile started to form on Kuroko's face. He felt the same way, but he needed to make sure Kagami hadn't lost his confidence.

"Hai."

Practice would continue as usual.

* * *

Seirin wasn't the only team to react to the news. Somewhere else in Tokyo, in a different gym inside a different school, one Momoi Satsuki was running inside said gym as fast as she could, her long pink hair blowing in the wind. She had a figure that rivaled Yuki's, and likewise she was very popular in the school. She had a high number of admirers, but like Yuki, she didn't pay attention to these things. Rather, she was here to deliver a message to someone who was very important to her. Just as important as Kuroko was.

"Aomine-kun! Are you in here!?"

She had already checked the roof, and he wasn't up there. Since there was no practice today, it meant that he was probably napping in the gym since no one was in here. Even though it was Saturday, as members of the basketball club, they had access to the gym. This extended to days off too. It was a nice little perk to them from the school.

As she suspected, Momoi found Aomine fast asleep on the stage of the gym, happily snoring. This _really_ ticked her off.

"Aomine-kun! Get up already! It's past noon!"

"S'what?" The powerful player managed to get one eye open to see who had disturbed his sleep. When he saw who it was, he closed it back again. "Oh, Satsuki. It's you." He promptly fell back asleep.

This only ticked off the girl even more. "Wake up, you overgrown gorilla! This is no time for sleep!"

"What are you even going on about?" Even though he didn't want to, Aomine still sat up. As long as Momoi was here, he wasn't getting any sleep anyway. "We don't have practice today, right? So let me sleep."

"You sleep even when we do have practice…..."

"…"

Aomine couldn't deny that.

Shaking her head, Momoi said, "Forget that. I have something to show you!"

"Jeez, what's got you so excited? Did you finally get a boyfriend or something?"

"Stop being so mean! Besides, you know Tetsu-kun is my boyfriend."

There she goes with that. Did she not realize it was one-sided? Aomine didn't have the energy to get into that conversation, though. Better to just let her think that she wanted.

The girl sat next to him as she pulled up a video with her phone. Aomine yawned as she did this, still not giving this conversation too much attention. It was probably just a stupid picture of a cute dog or something. Not really worth his interest.

His mood did a 180-turn when the video started to play on her phone. It was a video of a basketball match. It wasn't between some weak players either. It was between Kise…..and some other blond Aomine had never seen before. But the guy was good…..so good that he matched Kise at every turn. No, maybe it was better to say that Kise matched him. And his moves…...Aomine recognized them.

Especially when the blond used a formless shot.

A grin started to reach him. "Eh? Now this is something…..."

Momoi looked at her childhood friend with anticipation. "See? I told you it was important!"

The girl was quite shocked herself. She couldn't believe that there was another player out there that could move like Aomine. At least, not in Japan. But she had been proven wrong today. Kise had also surprised her. If he could copy this guy's moves, then it was very likely that he could copy Aomine's too. That was something he could never do back in middle school. It just spelled a bunch of trouble for them.

Aomine's reaction wasn't that of worry, though. Far from it. It was excitement, pure and simple.

"Looks like Kise has been training real hard since the last time I saw him."

Maybe that victory Kuroko managed to pull off against him was just a fluke?

"Now you see why you have to start coming to practice!" Momoi said as she pocketed her phone. "If we don't, then we could possibly-"

"What are you talking about?" Aomine got to his feet, his back to her. "In the end, the only one who can beat me is _me_."

This changed nothing in his mind. Even with Kise's impressive improvement, even with this new guy on the court, his victory was still assured.

That was just a fact.

Momoi had to look away in disappointment. She had thought this would make her friend snap out of his shell, but it didn't look that way. She wondered if it was even possible to get the old Aomine back.

She could only pray for a miracle.

* * *

"You know, this was a really fun day. Much better than just staying in your room all day, right?"

Naruto let out a dismissive grunt. He and Yuki were coming back from spending the whole afternoon with his mother and Kise. His mother really wanted to know more about Kaijō and the basketball club there. She probably wanted to figure out why he was suddenly so interested in the sport.

Kise had been annoying about the whole thing too. He had enjoyed teasing him every step of the way, and his mom had ate it all up.

Stupid model.

Thankfully they had split up. His mother said she had something to do, and Kise had to get back home.

"Aww, don't be like that." Yuki poked him on the side playfully, her face gleeful. "You have more people in your life now, so you have to get used to that."

There it was again. Naruto knew this is what she wanted from him. Trying hard, socializing. Naruto admitted that it was…...nice to be around other people who treated him normally. Not as some creature behind a glass wall that had to be admired from a distance.

He still needed his sleep, though. He couldn't just go from a lazy truant to an outstanding individual overnight. That was just too difficult.

Yuki suddenly grabbed his hand with her own and smiled. "Most of all, the Inter-High is almost here. It's exciting to think that we'll be facing off against so many other people."

"I'm more surprised that you even care about this. I didn't think you held much love for sports."

"I don't. But everyone in the club…..it's like we're close friends now. I want to see you and Kise-san win with them. Ah, my friends from our old school wished you luck too. Apparently they saw the video too and were amazed by your abilities. They say they might even come cheer for you in the tournament if you do well~ Doesn't that make you happy?"

Was she teasing him or something?

"I didn't think they liked me very much," Naruto said offhandedly.

Yuki looked away, embarrassed. "W-Well, they didn't _dislike_ you…...not that they liked you either….."

Oh, Yuki. You were too nice for your own good sometimes.

"B-But they said that they see you in a different light now!" she quickly added. "Handsome even! Since you were looking so determined and whatnot..."

Hm? Naruto eyed the girl for a second, sensing that she might be annoyed now. But why? Before he could ask her, she twirled in front of him before placing a finger on his chest.

"Anyway! You have to promise me too, Naruto-kun. That you'll do your best with Kise-san and win at the Inter-High."

So she said.

Naruto placed a hand over her head. "Don't worry, Yuki. I already made a promise with Kise. And you know me. I never go back on my word."

Yuki leaned closer to him, enough to where she had her head resting on his chest. Naruto didn't stop her.

"It's been a while since you said that. I was afraid you were reverting back to your old self. That's why, I'm glad that you met Kise-san…..."

"Has anyone ever told you that you worry too much?" Naruto said, this time him doing the teasing. "I'm flattered that you care so much about me, but there's no reason for you to go this far."

"I have to. Otherwise, you wouldn't last long by yourself."

"Now that's just mean."

"But it's the truth."

From a certain point of view, maybe.

"You should start having more faith in me," Naruto said as he walked off, bringing Yuki with him. "You'll be knocked off your feet if you don't."

Yuki was counting on it.

* * *

The following week came and went. Naruto, Kise, and everyone else on the team continued with their practice. Nothing as intense as the practice game, but they still made sure to work on everything they wanted before the Inter-High. They wanted to be as strong as possible so that they could overcome any challenge. This year's competition was sure to be tougher than any other. If they wanted to stand a chance, they needed to be at one hundred percent.

During this time, Yuki made sure to gather as much information on other teams as she could. She didn't want to feel useless, so she got busy on whatever she could help with. This included bringing them snacks too, which just made everyone on the team happy.

Her cooking was just that good.

As fun as all of this was, it still needed to come to an end eventually. Which it did. And the preliminaries of the Inter-High finally started at the end of the second week of practice.

* * *

It was the first day of the preliminaries tournament. Naruto was finally able to dress in the Kaijō uniform. He was in the jacket and pants, but underneath he wore the jersey and shorts. The others did the same as they headed for the building that would set the stage for the Kanagawa tournament. The winner of this tournament would then have to go to the final league and become the best of three.

Kaijō was going to be one of those teams.

Yuki accompanied them, wearing one of the team jackets too even though she wasn't a player. She also wore her school skirt. The two colors mashed very well actually.

Naruto felt a bit disappointed, though. He tugged on his jacket and said, "I can't believe our uniforms don't have any orange in them. How uncool is that?"

Moriyama snorted. "Idiot. This has been the traditional Kaijō colors for years. You can't just change that."

"But…..we could."

"No, we can't."

"But we could."

"We can't."

"We cou-"

"That's enough, you morons!" Kasamatsu came in with a double kick, one for each idiot. "We aren't here to goof around today. It's finally the start of the Inter-High. One mistake can cost us the whole tournament. Get your game faces on!"

Naruto rubbed his sore back. "Damn, that hurts. I see now how you manage to keep Kise in a leash, captain."

"That's not true, Uzumakicchi!" Kise whined but went unheard by the others.

"H'mph, we shouldn't be so hasty," the coach spoke up. "This is only the first round. I'm sure we can manage an easy victory today."

Kise leaned in closer to Naruto to whisper, "He said the same thing about Seirin, but we still lost. How embarrassing is that?"

"What was that, Kise!?" the coach turned a sharp eye on the model who froze on the spot.

"N-Nothing, coach! Just asking Uzumakicchi what he thought of my upcoming photo album! Hehehehe….."

Not a very convincing lie there, Kise. Naruto would never ask about that.

The coach sighed. "Well, it's not like you're wrong. I did promise myself to be more vigilant in this tournament. After all, we can't be defeated before we get our revenge on Seirin."

He was still sore about that loss.

His team felt the same way. They all wanted to redeem themselves after that embarrassing defeat. Naruto didn't feel as strongly about the matter since he hadn't been a part of the team at the time, but he was more than willing to help his new friends in their revenge.

"We all know that better than anyone else." Kasamatsu stepped forward, leading the team. "But before we can concern ourselves with that, we have to win this tournament first."

The others all shouted in agreement.

The coach merely smiled before they headed inside the building, which was quite big

This was where their journey would begin.

* * *

Yuki helped set everything up on their side of the court. Water bottles, fresh towels, and the like. She glanced around the court. There weren't that many spectators around. Apparently the first few games didn't really attract that much attention. This was because they involved minor schools that most people didn't care about. Yuki felt that was insulting to a lot of teams, but then again she had felt the exact same way until recently.

Funny how things changed.

The first string of Kaijō finally set foot in the room. Naruto was obviously among them. He wore the number nine jersey. He had traded the number with Nakamura, who was now in number six. The powerful defender hadn't minded.

It was the first time Yuki was seeing the blond in uniform, and it made her face heat up a little. Kise noticed this and nudged her on the shoulder while giving her a wink. Yuki nearly slapped him away, but Kise just laughed at her flustered look before joining the others.

The first string of Kaijō consisted of Kasamatsu as the captain and point guard, Moriyama as the shooting guard, Kobori as the center, Kise as the small forward, and finally Naruto as the power forward. Hayakawa hadn't been exactly thrilled to give up his spot, but he understood it was for the team's success.

"Hm, so this is where the preliminaries will be held, huh," Naruto muttered as he looked around. He could spot several other teams watching from the second floor. Since Kaijō was always a serious contender, they were probably here to scout out the competition. The video of their practice match hadn't helped. All the teams were going to be keeping a close eye on them, probably.

"Feeling nervous, Uzumakicchi?" Kise stood next to him with a playful smile. "This is your first official game, after all."

Naruto snorted. "Don't be an idiot. This isn't enough to make me sweat."

"Ha, glad to hear that." Kise looked over to the other side of the center line where their opponents of the day stood. "I'm sure our competition wouldn't appreciate that much."

Naruto looked over as well. Mishima High. They were the ones they had to go up against here. They were in grey-ish uniforms. That's why Naruto and the others were in their blue and white uniforms today, as oppose to the white and blue ones.

"Sugawara-san said they were a strong offensive team," Kobori spoke up. Yuki had shared with them what she was able to learn about the enemy team. "We didn't play them last year since they were on a different block. But they're bound to be stronger this time."

Moriyama grinned. "They're not the only ones who've improved. We'll be sure to stop their offense, no matter what."

Kasamatsu had to grin as well. "Now that's more like it. Get excited, people! The game's about to start."

Naruto cracked his neck as he and the others set foot on the court, their opponents already waiting for them in the center. The referee was there as well, ball in hand.

None of the Mishima players were very tall, but Naruto was still the shortest player there. Normally, that would have made the other players underestimate him and look down at him, literally and figuratively. But they were not going to do that. Not after seeing how well he could play.

'Well, there goes my plan of attack.' Naruto was really annoyed with that video. Sure, he didn't mind being well-known. But not being able to surprise the enemy…...that was just annoying.

Oh, well. Nothing could be done about that now.

The referee blew his whistle, catching everyone's attention.

"Alright, the first game of the Inter-High preliminaries between Kaijō High and Mishima High will now commence!"

There was little cheering, but the excitement in the air was evident. Naruto and Kise were both more than ready to start their first official game together.

* * *

"I can't believe we actually came all this way just to see the game."

"Stop complaining already, Fukuda-kun. We need to see with our own eyes how much Kaijō has changed in the two weeks since our practice match. We're lucky that their tournament starts a little bit earlier than ours, otherwise we wouldn't have the free time to be here."

Hyūga was in agreement with Riko's words. "Stand straight, you fools. If things go as we expect, then we'll be facing them sooner or later. Make sure to soak as much information as you can today!"

As Rika said, once their tournament started, they wouldn't have the free time to check out the competition anymore. The Tokyo region, despite having the most schools participating, had its preliminaries commence last. Maybe it was because it was harder to organize than other places because of the large number of schools. Who knows. Point is, they were here today to see how Kaijō's first match went.

Kagami was in the back, not sure how to feel about all of this. He wasn't one to usually do stuff like this. Checking out the competition, that is. He felt more excited not knowing what his opponent could do and dealing with it on the fly. Another side of him could admit to being curious about seeing how strong Kaijō was now, though, which is the side that won. That's why he was with the others today.

Kuroko was unusually silent. Not because he had nothing to say, but because there was a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was really making him anxious, not that he let that show on his face. Having total control of his emotions was one of the things he had to learn to master his Misdirection.

Riko led them inside the building to where Kaijō was playing. They made their way up to the second floor where they could see the game. There were more than enough open seats for them to use. But that became irrelevant when they saw the score on the screen.

"Sixty to…...four points….." In Kaijō's favor. Koganei was speechless, his face full of shock. The others all felt the same. They thought their eyes were playing tricks on them, but that wasn't it. It was the truth.

It was only the second quarter, but Kaijō was annihilating Mishima completely.

"How the hell is this even possible?" Hyūga said in disbelief.

The answer came soon when he focused on the actual game. Two Mishima defenders were trying to hold Kise back, but the tall blond was able to get past them with ease. They all noted just how faster he was now compared to two weeks ago. Another defender came for him, stopping him from going for the layup. It didn't deter Kise at all, though. Instead of going around him, Kise made a pass to Naruto who went straight for the dunk undefended.

And like that, Kaijō had two more points added to their already high score.

"Unbelievable!" Another spectator shouted. "Mishima hasn't been able to stop those two all day! They keep scoring with every play!"

So that's how it was. Kaijō's offense was just too strong for Mishima to stop. Riko had heard that Mishima specialized more on their offensive power, though, so that wasn't all too shocking. But their score…..only four points? Really?

How could that be?

That question was also answered when Mishima tried to go on the offensive and pay Kaijō back. Keyword being tried. One of their players went for a three-pointer, but the ball was easily swatted away by Naruto who jumped in time to block the shot.

"It's just like in the video," Izuki said. "I didn't want to believe it, but even though he doesn't have the size, that guy can jump just as high as Kagami….."

Maybe higher.

Kagami himself had wide eyes. Like Izuki, some part of him hadn't believed in the blond's explosive power, but seeing it now with his own eyes there was no doubt about it. It was all true.

This new guy was strong.

Kuroko's eyes were wide as well. Down below, Kise managed to drive past the two defenders again and scored. He and Naruto high-fived one another afterwards, the two blonds grinning. The other three were also smiling as the benched players all cheered them on.

"It's just as I feared. Kise-kun has become even stronger than before…..."

It was hard to believe. In only two weeks, there was this much improvement from Kaijō. Seirin was forced to accept this. They all realized that victory against Kaijō now would be an even tougher feat than before, if possible at all. No, could they even win now?

A bitter smile started to appear on Hyūga's face. He too was forced to realize the truth of the situation.

"Goddammit all…..."

It was only the first match of the Kanagawa preliminaries, but Kaijō was already making big waves. And they all felt it in their hearts.

Down below, Naruto and Kise high-fived one another again, their first victory assured.

On the sidelines, Yuki smiled, her face flushed with pride.

'Naruto-kun, Kise-san…...'

She couldn't be happier than she was right now.

In their first match, Kaijō would go on to win with no problem, racking up a total of 163 points and only giving up twenty points.

It was a total slaughterhouse.

* * *

 **Will Naruto and Kise breeze their way to the main tournament? Or will there be an actual challenge waiting for them before then? Well, the answer should be obvious.**

 **I don't have much else to say. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter. There wasn't much action this time, but that won't stay the same for long.**

 **Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter too.**

 **Till next time.**


	5. Challenge Issued

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4:  
** **Challenge Issued**

"So that's Seirin, huh?"

"Hm?" Kise followed Naruto's line of sight to the second floor where he saw Kuroko with his new team. He had been too engrossed in the game to notice the blue haired boy until now. How embarrassing.

Speaking of the game, it had just finished. Everyone on the bench was celebrating their first victory in the preliminaries. Well, it was more like a one-sided slaughter, but that was neither here nor there.

"I didn't think Kurokocchi would actually come to cheer us on!" Kise was totally misunderstanding the situation as always. Or maybe he was just playing stupid. Naruto didn't know, and honestly he wasn't too interested to find out.

He had something else in mind right now.

"Congratulations, Naruto-kun." Yuki walked up to the blond with a towel in hand. She smiled. "It feels great to have your first official win, right?"

"Yeah…..." Naruto wasn't going to focus on it, though. It had been too easy. Besides, he had bigger prey to worry about.

Yuki raised an eyebrow when Naruto walked around her and headed for one of the ends of the court. Behind her, Kise just shook his head while smiling a little. He had a pretty good idea as to what Naruto was planning on doing.

On the second floor, the Seirin team was about to make their exit. They were still shocked after witnessing such a one-sided game, but they couldn't stay here forever. They needed to head back home and think on what they saw.

Kuroko stopped when he noticed Naruto staring at them as he inched closer toward them from below.

"Wait a moment, please."

The others all paused and turned to look at Kuroko in confusion. When they saw where he was looking, they realized why he had stopped.

Naruto locked gazes with Kuroko before glancing over to Kagami, who also met his gaze.

So these were the two that managed to beat Kise. In a situation like this, there was only one course of action.

Naruto grinned as he pointed at them. "You guys better be prepared. Once we meet in the main tournament, I'll make sure to get revenge for my team. You'll lose so badly, it'll make your practice game look cute by default. Is that clear?"

Even though they were on the second floor, Kuroko and the others managed to hear Naruto just fine. His voice carried that much power behind it, and conviction too. There was no hesitation in what he was saying, basically.

It was Kagami who stepped forward, his face determined. "We'll take that challenge, you fool! Just make sure you get there too."

"That won't be a problem."

The two boys eyed each other down, both more than ready to face the other.

This went on for almost a minute, until Yuki came and slapped Naruto in the back of his head to snap him out of it. Hyūga did the same to Kagami. The two teens flinched and turned to their respective attackers.

"W-What did you do that for, captain!?" Kagami shouted.

"You were staring like an idiot," the second-year captain said calmly. "No matter how much you stare him down, you won't be facing him for a while. We have a ton of other games to worry about first."

Kagami knew this. He was just glancing for a second. That's all.

Naruto was having a similar conversation right now.

"What the hell was that for, Yuki!?"

Yuki glared at him. "You were acting like an idiot. That's why. You just finished a match, and you want another one already?"

"I was just making a statement!" Naruto grumbled. The moment was ruined now.

A chuckling Kise joined the two. "Man, you really are a funny guy, Uzumakicchi." He turned his gaze to the second floor, right where Kuroko was. "But it's not like I disagree with what you were doing."

Kuroko didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. His eyes spoke louder than any words could.

He too was ready to take them on.

Yuki had to shake her head in dismay. "I swear. I'm stuck with two children now."

"I like to think I'm more mature than this guy," Naruto said, pointing to Kise.

The model cried out, "Don't say that, Uzumakicchi! We're the same, you and I!"

"No one has insulted me as badly as you have today, Kise. I commend you for that."

"Uzumakicchi!"

Yuki watched as Kise practically descended into a crying fit. These two, honestly. They really were like children. And she had to look out for them. How troublesome.

Up on the second floor, everyone in Seirin just sweatdropped at the sight. Kise was still an idiot, it seemed.

"L-Let's…...let's just go," a mentally tired Riko said as she led her team out of the room. She couldn't handle anymore of this. Not right now.

Kuroko and Kagami gave Naruto and Kise one final glance before they exited. They had only come here to check out the competition, but they had left with a greater motivation to win the Inter-High than before, if that was possible.

Not a bad trade-off.

Stretching, Naruto turned to the others. "Well. Looks like we've made our message loud and clear. Who's hungry?"

"I really don't know whether to call you an idiot or brave," Moriyama said, amused.

It didn't take all that much bravery really. At least, Naruto didn't think so. He simply spoke the truth. When they faced Seirin, they would win. That's all.

'Hm, we still have to wait a bit for that, though.'

First, Seirin was going to have to go through two Generation of Miracles before they could get to them. Only time would tell if they could get past those obstacles.

For now, it was ramen time!

* * *

It went without saying that the next several matches continued like this for them. They were totally one-sided in their favor. Kaijō practically blew through the competition like it was nothing. It was during the finals for their block that the Tokyo preliminaries finally began. Or so Naruto heard. It was Yuki who told him about it, but Naruto wasn't all that interested. Neither was Kise. To the model, it was only when Seirin faced the three kings from Tokyo that things would get more excited.

Three kings, huh. Now they might have been interesting to play against. Especially since one of them had Midorima in their team.

"Things are going very well, aren't they?"

"A little _too_ well if you ask me. I want to play another game like the one I had with Kise. But every team we've faced is just so weak."

"That's because you and Kise-san are too strong, Naruto-kun. Your double team is enough to shut everyone else down. Kobori-senpai has even been joking that he has nothing to do since you and Kise-san manage defense so well too."

Naruto picked his food while grunting in acknowledgement. He and Yuki were out for dinner tonight. They were celebrating their championship victory together after they had already celebrated with the team earlier. He wouldn't say it was a fancy restaurant, but…..okay, it was sorta fancy. Fancy enough to where he had to wear a suit anyway. Yuki was in a blue dress that fit her perfectly. Well, most clothes did. He was only here because the girl liked places like this. She was far more formal than he was, that's for sure. But if it made her happy, then he was okay with it too.

His mother had sent him a congratulatory text too. Work had prevented her from going to see the game apparently. Not that she had missed much. They had destroyed the enemy team.

Again.

"Well, I for one am glad that everything is going as expected." Yuki was more cheerful as she took another bite from her plate. "Kise-san is planning on going to see Seirin play Seihō High after our final league games. Do you want to go too?"

"They're that far into their tournament already?" Naruto was a bit surprised. He could have swore they just started.

Yuki hummed. "Well, they still have three more games before then. But Kise-san says that there is no way Kuroko-san can lose before taking on either king. And if they win against Seihō, they'll be taking on Midorima-san on the same day! That's quite the situation they're in."

Midorima, huh? Naruto wouldn't mind seeing the guy play. He was the shooter for the Generation of Miracles, but just how good was he? Kise said the guy had never missed a three in his life. While he didn't much care for shots like that, he still had to give his respects to the guy. That kind of technique required a lot of control. That's part of the reason why he wasn't fond of three's. He couldn't control his shooting strength to the level needed. He always overshot it, which pissed him off. In Yuki's words, he didn't have enough "delicacy." Whatever that meant. More power was better than less power.

Dunks were cooler too. He still needed to have more control over his strength, though. Up till now, he's never had to worry about control. That was part of the problem.

"That sounds like fun," Naruto said at last. "It could spice things up for us before we get to the actual Inter-High."

Yuki pouted a little. "What? Is our dinner not exciting enough for you?"

Was she trying to mess with him again? Well, two could play this game.

Naruto leaned back in his seat and smiled. "I never said that. Besides, what I'm seeing is exciting enough."

Yuki caught on to what he was really saying, and her cheeks turned red as a result.

"F-Flattery won't get you anywhere, idiot….."

So she said, but her flustered look was enough for him.

Their meal continued in peace.

* * *

It was a rather cloudy day today. It was far different from all the bright and sunny days they had been getting for the past few weeks. Still, it set the atmosphere rather greatly in Naruto's mind. After all, today was going to be a dark day for Seirin. Having to face two of the so-called kings in a single day…...actually, that sounded like fun. Too bad they couldn't do that.

"I can't believe everyone else in the team blew us off," a smiling Kise said as he walked in front. "I thought they would be way more interested in Seirin's matches today."

"We do have important tests coming up, Kise-san," Yuki reminded him. All three of them were in uniform today. They had come here straight from school. "They're probably more worried about passing than seeing a game."

"You didn't have to remind me about that, Sugawaracchi." Kise's shoulders slumped a little. Just like Naruto, he had atrocious grades. It seemed like the model's talent in sports didn't translate over to school that well. Naruto could relate very well to that. It was only thanks to Yuki's tutoring that he was still hanging on. She was a diligent student like that.

Yuki was exasperated again. Why was she friends with these two again?

The trio made their way to the second floor of the large gym where the games were to be played today. It wasn't just Seirin that was playing in here today, though. Next to Seirin, Shūtoku was having their semi-final game too. They were going against some school called Ginbō High. They were a middle-tier school apparently, so Shūtoku wasn't going to have to struggle too much in taking their first victory of the day.

It was at this point that Naruto got his first look at Midorima Shintarō. The guy was tall, taller than him, and he had an aura of certainty and pride. Naruto could already see it.

This guy was powerful.

He had to grin. "So that's your teammate, huh."

Kise turned to him. "Yeah. That's Midorimacchi. He's a bit too serious if you ask me, but that has nothing to do with how he plays. He's not someone you want to take lightly."

Naruto could sort of understand what Kise was saying. Down on the court, the green-haired teen was already staring down at Kuroko and Kagami, the other two doing the same. Naruto could practically see the sparks flying already.

How fun.

'Not that it changes anything, though. Seirin has someone else they need to defeat first.' Naruto's eyes went to the other team of interest today. The king of the north, Seihō High. Apparently they were good with defense. Kise had explained his disdain toward one of their new players, a first-year. His defense was one of the best, if not _the_ best, on the team.

Yuki huffed. "Too serious? Is that your way of saying he's actually dependable?"

Kise pouted a little. "That's just mean, Sugawaracchi. You and Uzumakicchi are always bullying me!"

"I'm just being honest!" Yuki said with an indignant look.

"No, you're being a bully!"

"I can't even….."

Now Yuki knew how he felt. Even at school, Kise was always hanging around him, bugging him. It almost made Naruto want to hide out in Kasamatsu's classroom during breaks. At least that guy could step on Kise whenever he wanted.

Yuki knew he enjoyed Kise's company, though. The whiskered blond was just too stubborn to admit it.

Naruto decided to focus on something more important. "Those uniforms…...why can't our uniforms be that cool?"

Yuki and Kise both knew what he was talking about. The Shūtoku uniform had orange. It was the main color for the school.

Naruto loved orange.

Kise sweatdropped. "You're still hung up on that?"

"I'm just saying. Having a little orange would go a long way into making us look cooler."

Yuki's face was once again expressing her exasperation. "Orange doesn't equal cool, Naruto-kun."

Naruto nearly gasped. "How can you say that, Yuki!? You know that's blasphemy! They would burn you at the stake if they heard you say that!"

Who's "they" exactly?

"What's with his obsession with orange?" Kise whispered to Yuki, who shook her head.

"No one knows. It's just like with his ramen obsession. It's who Naruto-kun is, I guess."

Kise looked plain confused, not that Yuki could blame him. She had known Naruto longer than the model, and even she didn't understand his mannerisms sometimes.

Naruto decided to ignore their little conversation in favor of focusing on the upcoming matches. Again, Shūtoku's victory in the semi-finals was all but assured. It was Seirin's future that was undecided here. Regardless of what happened, Naruto was going to see his targets of interest play today.

That was good enough for him.

* * *

Down on the court where Shūtoku was doing its practice shots before the game, one Takao Kazunari was looking up at the audience seats on the second floor. He was a first-year, just like Midorima. And like Midorima, he was part of the first-string. Rather impressive.

His supposed skills aside, he had a rather laid-back personality that often clashed with Midorima's more serious persona. Despite their character difference, the two still got along pretty well, even if Midorima was often annoyed with him.

"Well, well. Would you look at that? We have some rather interesting guests today, Shin-chan. I think they came to see you."

"Shin-chan" looked up toward the seats as well, and he immediately saw who Takao was talking about. It was kind of hard to miss when they start waving at you. Well, Kise waved at him. Naruto just stared, hard.

"H'mph, so it seems."

Midorima had already heard about Naruto. He had watched the video showcasing Naruto and Kise's match, after all. Unlike some others, he wasn't impressed. All the blond could do was dunk like a monkey. That didn't interest Midorima in the slightest. His shots were worth way more than that.

Despite these thoughts, a part of him was still very interested in facing off against the Uzumaki. And Kise too. But that should go without saying. Not that he would lose. No matter how hard they tried, the ending would remain the same. With his victory, and their loss.

Before he could go thinking too deeply about that, though, he still had another opponent he needed to defeat today.

'Kuroko…..'

That guy. Midorima couldn't understand Teikō's former phantom sixth man. Not one bit. Going to such a weak school like Seirin…...it was a waste of his talents. And all because he wanted to prove "his basketball" to them. How ridiculous. Midorima would be teaching Kuroko the futility of his actions here today. He would make sure of it.

'H'mph, unless they get defeated before then.'

That would just be equally as embarrassing.

Takao snickered. "You're too focused on Kuroko and Kagami to worry about the new guy, huh?"

"Shut up, Takao. Your delusions are annoying."

"Delusions, huh?" Takao's smile made it clear that he didn't believe Midorima's little lie. In response, Midorima could only do one thing.

He h'mphed and pushed his glasses back up his nose. Responding was just not worth his time.

* * *

Naruto made himself comfortable as the matches got started. Kise and Yuki were far more curious than he was about Seirin's match against Seihō, but the blond still made sure to pay attention.

The match proceeded just as he had guessed. For the first two minutes or so, Seirin was completely shut down. They were not able to do anything offense wise. Seihō's tight defense made sure of that. On defense, Seirin was pretty worthless too. Only Kagami had some decent blocks here and there thanks to his jumping abilities, but that was it. More than that, Kuroko was unable to do anything. Kise had already informed him about the boy's "magic passes." But against Seihō, that seemed to do little good.

"This is honestly disappointing," Naruto muttered, not impressed with Seirin's performance.

Yuki turned to him with a frown. "Yes, but should that come to you as a surprise? They're against a king here."

A king, huh. Putting too much stocks in titles like that was meaningless as far as Naruto was concerned. If this was enough to shut Seirin down, then defeating them would be easier than he thought.

Almost as if to challenge his claim, Kagami managed to drive past his mark, that first-year kid Kise had complained about, and dunk the ball, scoring the first points for his team.

"Heh, I wouldn't expect any less," Kise said, a large grin etched on his face.

So it wasn't going to be so one-sided. That's exactly what Naruto had been hoping to see.

The rest of the match could almost be called a turnover in Seirin's favor. Even though Seihō did their best to hang in there, even forcing Kagami to exit the game after four fouls, Seirin was still able to come out on top. All thanks to Kuroko and his spectacular support.

"I can't believe it," Yuki said in slight disbelief. "I can't believe Kuroko-san has this kind of strength."

It wasn't a complete compliment. Yuki wouldn't be so bold as to call Kuroko "strong." By all accounts, he was a rather weak player. He couldn't do anything on his own. He had to always get others to finish the job for him, so to speak. But at the same time…..he didn't let that stop him. He was still able to lead his team to victory even with his lack of strength.

Kise was more amiable. "That's Kurokocchi for you. He's different from the Generation of Miracles. His strength takes on a different form. That's what makes him so dangerous."

Naruto was starting to see it too. Why Kise held Kuroko in high regard. He had found a way around his shortcomings to become a strong player in his own way.

'Heh, now this is starting to get interesting…..'

The others weren't half-bad either. Their captain was a great shooter, and this Izuki guy had a very interesting set of eyes. Not that it was perfect. Even if he could see something, trying to do something about it was a different story.

The other spectators were completely surprised at Seirin's victory. They had practically "dethroned" a king, as it were. And they were more than happy to celebrate that fact.

The hard part was coming, though.

As expected, Shūtoku had won their game. It was child's play for them really. That only left the finale. The final game for Block A, the championship match between Seirin and Shūtoku. Midorima vs. Kuroko and Kagami.

It was time for the real fun to start.

* * *

"What happened today can only be called an upset."

"Seriously. Seirin managed to defeat _two_ of the kings!"

"Yeah, they're totally the team to watch out for the final league!"

"Man, I can't wait to see how they do there. They might even be able to get to the Inter-High!"

"I'm excited too!"

These were the types of comments Naruto could hear as he, Yuki, and Kise all began to exit the building. The championship game for Block A had been played, and the winner had been decided. In a surprising twist, it was Midorima who had lost the battle. The shooter for the Generation of Miracles was strong, but Kagami and Kuroko had been able to defeat him in the end.

"So what did you think, Uzumakicchi?"

And of course, Kise was more than happy with the outcome. It wasn't that he had wanted Midorima to lose per say, but at the same time, he was eager to play against Kuroko and Kagami again.

"I think your past teammates are strong." That was the basic truth of the matter.

Yuki had to agree. "Shooting all the way from the opposite end of the court? And making it? That's beyond incredible! I can't believe someone like that exists. Kagami-san was also pretty amazing too. I think he was able to jump even higher than you at one point, Naruto-kun."

Naruto had noticed that too. It pissed him off a little, but it also made facing off against the red-haired teen all the more exciting. Besides, he was still stronger.

For sure.

Yuki giggled at his competitive look. It was cute.

"Since they won, it won't take them long before they face Aominecchi," Kise said, his face somewhat somber now. "Honestly, I have no idea how that will turn out."

Naruto paused. The ace of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki. That was the guy who had inspired Kise to start playing basketball in the first place. According to Kise, even among the Generation of Miracles, he was a monster in his own right.

"That's for the future to worry about," Yuki said. "For now, we should-"

"Move it, Shin-chan! Because you were crying, our senpai left us behind!"

"Quit your delusions, Takao. I wasn't-"

Both groups stopped when they noticed one another. Naruto and Yuki sweatdropped when they saw the contraption Midorima was riding on. It was like some sort of cart, pulled by Takao who was on a bike.

Just what the hell was this thing?

Kise blinked. "Midorimacchi!?"

The glasses wearer nearly clicked his teeth together in annoyance. The last thing he wanted to was to meet these two right now.

"Kise. And….." His eyes went over to Naruto who was still gawking at his mode of transportation.

Takao had to hold back his laugh at this turn of events. 'Hehehe, this is great! I might even get to see a flustered Shin-chan!'

And it wouldn't be his fault for once.

"I still can't believe you're riding this thing," Kise said with a shake of his head. "It's gonna start raining pretty badly soon, you know."

It was already drizzling quite heavily. A storm was definitely gonna hit.

Midorima crossed his arms. "Your comments aren't needed, Kise. This way of travel is far more efficient than a bus."

'Yeah, and you make me do all the work,' Takao thought with a twitching eyebrow.

That's why it was more efficient for him.

Yuki nearly facepalmed. 'I take it back. This guy is just as bad as Kise-san.'

Did all the Generation of Miracles have to be so…..crazy? Or like, not so nutty? Just be normal for once!

Unaware of Yuki's thoughts, Naruto stared at Midorima. "So you're Midorima, huh? Pleasure to meet you. The name's Uzumaki Naruto. Sorry for your loss. I was looking forward to kicking your ass at the Inter-High."

There were several reactions to his statement. Yuki shrieked, Kise just held his head in acceptance, Takao burst out in laughter, and Midorima twitched in annoyance.

'Kekeke, this guy is even more straightforward than Kagami!' Takao thought as he laughed.

Midorima placed a hand on his glasses while scowling. "So you're as uncouth as I'd thought. Why am I not surprised?"

Uncouth? Naruto had no idea what that meant, but he was pretty sure it was an insult.

"Don't let him get to you, Uzumaki-senpai," Takao said as he managed to get his laugh under control. "He was looking forward to playing against you too. He's just too shy to admit it."

"Oi, stop making up such lies, Takao!"

"See?"

Midorima was more than ready to take Takao out but stopped when Kise spoke up.

"I understand how you feel, Midorimacchi. Losing sucks. But it's not like we won't have another chance to face each other, right?"

Midorima stared at his former teammate for a few moments before closing his eyes.

"Kise. You have changed."

"Hm?" The blond tilted his head. "Have I? I just feel more motivated than before. That's pretty much it. Uzumakicchi and I are going to win the Inter-High, after all!"

"Yeah, that's the gist of it," Naruto added. "Whether it's against you or the others, we'll be sure to get to the top."

Midorima noticed it right away. Naruto and Kise…...they shared the same look. It was different from back then, from when he and Kise had worn the same uniform in Teikō. It reminded him of Kuroko.

'So that's the path you've taken. H'mph, so be it.'

Midorima turned away from them. "There's nothing else for me to say. Takao, let's go already."

Said boy sighed but relented. "Hai, hai."

Naruto, Kise, and Yuki watched the two ride off, with Midorima giving them one final glance.

"He really is totally different from you, Kise-san," Yuki commented after they had left.

"Yeah." Placing a hand on his head, Kise had to sigh a little. "Getting along with him is hard, but he's not a bad guy. Just rough around the edges."

Yuki sweatdropped. 'I don't think you should be saying that, Kise-san…...'

"He's just an asshole," Naruto said, scowling a bit. "I would have loved to knock him down a peg in the Inter-High. But I guess that's no longer possible."

"Hahaha, you'll get your chance later, I bet." Kise patted him in the back as he started to walk again. "Besides, we'll have plenty of tough opponents before then."

The three made their way back and luckily they managed to get to the bus stop before it really started pouring down.

As they left, Naruto reaffirmed his promise again. Seirin, Aomine. It didn't matter who. He would still win.

It was just a shame really, as soon after, Seirin would lose in the final league. Not just against Aomine, but they lost their two other games as well.

Seirin would not advance to the Inter-High.

* * *

"I'm so jealous of you, Sugawara. Spending so much time with Kise-kun. I wish I could watch him play all the time too!"

"You guys are going to the Inter-High, right? You'll definitely win, won't you?"

"Uzumaki-kun is just as strong, isn't he? Are you two dating?"

"Hahaha, w-well, you see…..." Yuki tried to answer every question that came her way, but there were just too many. Ever since they had won their ticket to the Inter-High, she had become the target of questions from her classmates. Among them were the many fangirls Kise had due to his model status. Kasamatsu had some too, and as much as it annoyed her Naruto had been attracting more attention from the female population ever since he had become one of the dual aces for the team.

Stupid Naruto. It wasn't his fault, but he was still an idiot.

Speaking of the blond, he was passed out in his seat. It was one of their breaks, so she couldn't fault him for napping. With his and Kise's strength, all their games had been really easy so far. It was only the promise of tougher opponents in the Inter-High that kept him motivated to play. That, and Kasamatsu made sure to keep him and Kise in line at all times. Honestly, the third-year could face Naruto and Kise head on with no problems, but he still couldn't even talk to her properly.

Boys were strange.

Yuki's attention turned back to her classmates who were still eagerly waiting her to answer.

"I-It's not a big deal really. Kaijō has always been able to get into the Inter-High."

"Yeah, but I hear this year's team is the best we've ever had! It's exciting to think we go to the same school as them."

Well, one of them was snoring at this very second, so…..not that exciting.

"And they're all really hot too."

"So are you dating Uzumaki-kun or not? You have to tell us!"

Urgh…...this was starting to get somewhat annoying for her. But such was the price for fame.

Naruto continued to nap in the background.

* * *

The Inter-High. Highly regarded as the biggest and most famous of the three high school basketball tournaments in Japan. Only the Winter Cup could rival it, and that only started to happen in recent years. The Inter-High was also the first tournament in which the Generation of Miracles could all face against one another in their high school career. It was their chance to fulfill their promise with one another. However, in the end, that didn't come to pass. Midorima was not taking part, and even Kuroko was unable to reach this stage.

That didn't stop the others from facing each other, though. One of the Generation of Miracles was absent, as well as the famed phantom sixth man, but that still left the other four. And Naruto as well.

Needless to say, there was still much excitement to be had for the tournament. And today, in one of the Inter-High's quarter-final matches, the excitement reached its peak. Why?

Because it was during this match that the Generation of Miracles could finally have their first battle with one another.

It was Kaijō versus Tōō. Naruto and Kise were finally going to face their first true challenge of the tournament, and it was none other than Aomine Daiki.

* * *

"It looks like the match is going to start soon."

Kuroko looked around the stadium. Unlike those in the preliminaries and even in the final league, this court was huge. There was more space for viewers, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. This was the main tournament, the actual Inter-High. Many people were bound to come to see it.

The rest of Seirin was also here. They had just finished their training camp but had made a detour before heading back. They did this in order to watch the match between Kaijō and Tōō. It was a long thing coming, and they didn't want to miss it.

Not just that, but they had also picked up a new team member during the summer break. It was possibly the second most powerful center in the high school league and one of the Uncrowned Kings, Kiyoshi Teppei. With him on the team, they had become even stronger. Of course, they would have to wait until the winter before they could test their new might against the other schools. It was only a shame he couldn't have joined them earlier.

"I heard Kaijō acquired a new player right before the preliminaries," Kiyoshi said from his seat. "I also saw the video of him playing. But you guys watched him play live. Honestly speaking, how good do you think he is?"

"I-I don't think that's a question you want answered," Koganei said, slightly depressed. After remembering how badly Naruto and Kise had crushed their first opponents, it made him want to cry.

"From what we've seen, he's on part with Kise, if not better," Hyūga answered. "But…..."

"Even Kise has gotten stronger," Riko finished for him. "Without you, Teppei, I don't think we would win against Kaijō for a second time."

Kagami was a bit annoyed with that statement but had to admit that Riko had a point. That didn't mean he had to like it, though.

"What do you think, Kuroko?" Furihata, another one of the first-years, turned to the blue-haired boy. "Who do you think is going to win?"

Kuroko looked down at the court. "Frankly, I don't know anymore. Before, I would have said Aomine-kun. That's because he and Kise-kun often held private matches with each other, which he always won. But now, with Uzumaki-kun in the mix, it's hard for me to come up with any guesses."

The addition of Naruto into the match was like adding an extreme wild card to a card game. Without seeing it for himself, there was no way Kuroko could call out a winner. Not this early anyway.

"Is that so?" Kiyoshi nodded in understanding. "Well, that's what we're here to do today. To see who will win."

The others were all in agreement.

* * *

In each locker room, the situation was more tense than it had ever been. Both teams already knew what was about to happen, what they were about to do. It was going to be the toughest match for each team so far. This was made even more clear for Tōō when Aomine showed up in time, all warmed up and ready to go.

"Looks like we won't have a repeat of what happened with Seirin." This made Imayoshi, the team captain, more than relieved. They couldn't take things easy today.

Momoi looked at her childhood friend. "Aomine-kun-"

"You don't have to say anything, Satsuki." The ace grabbed one of the water bottles, his face full of excitement. "Kise is one of the few guys I can actually try to crush, so of course I'll be trying today."

The same could be said for that new partner of his. They were good, but in the end, he would still be the winner.

Momoi nooded with a solemn look. Nothing she said would make a difference anyway. It was better to just let the match decide everything.

Over in Kaijō's locker room, there wasn't much of a conversation going on. Everyone already knew what they had to do, and the coach was more than happy to leave them each to their private thoughts. One funny thing that had happened was the coach's change in appearance. He looked clean, refine, and with better clothes. Apparently he was trying to compete with Tōō's coach in appearance for whatever reason.

Yuki found the whole thing stupid, while everyone else just laughed. It was just a funny image for them.

Making sure all of her stuff was ready, Yuki gave the sitting Naruto a slightly worried look.

"This game won't be like the others."

Naruto grinned. He was happy rather than worried. "Yeah. It's going to be fun. It's exactly what I've been waiting for."

It had been rather tedious, getting to this point. But now that they were finally here, Naruto couldn't be more excited than he was now.

Kise felt the same way. "You don't have to worry about us, Sugawaracchi. We'll be doing our best, like usual."

Yuki knew. But she still couldn't help but worry. Naruto and Kise might be idiots, but they were her idiots now. She had to look out for them whenever she could. She just couldn't help it.

Moriyama pushed his hair back as he smiled. "Everything will turn out okay, Sugawara-chan. I'll make sure to give it my all just for you." He even winked at her, but that stopped when Naruto kicked the older teen in the back, making him fall to the floor of the locker room.

"Oi, stop flirting with Yuki already, you damn playboy," Naruto growled.

"R-Respect your senpai, Uzumaki!" the downed Moriyama cried out while the others just laughed at his misfortune.

Kise shook his head. "Flirting with Sugawaracchi while Uzumakicchi is around is a big no-no, senpai. She already belongs to him, you know."

A blushing Yuki slapped him in the back of the head. "I-I don't belong to anybody, you idiot!"

There more laughs, only this time it was at her expense. Pouting was the only thing she could do in response.

They were all idiots.

Putting that aside, the still amused Kise faced Naruto. "Uzumakicchi, there is actually a big favor I need to ask of you before the match starts."

"Huh?" Naruto's eyebrow went up, but he didn't say anything. Rise asked a lot of stupid favors, but this seemed to be different.

And it was. Because Kise had a very selfish request today.

Kasamatsu glanced back to them but kept quiet. They were both ready for this game. He knew they had their reasons for wanting to win today, and so did he. It might be more personal than theirs, but that made little difference in the end.

'This year, things will be different.'

He wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

* * *

The cheering on the court from the audience grew in intensity the moment the two teams started to make their way onto the court. It was Tōō who made their appearance first. Up in their seats, Seirin picked up on Aomine's intensity right away. He was far different now than when he had started in their game.

He was more than ready for today's match.

"That guy," Kagami muttered, his fists clenching at his side. He had been completely powerless against him, so how would Kise and Naruto do?

As he thought this, Kaijō finally emerged from their locker room, the crowd cheering even further. The team was in their white and blue uniform for today, to contrast Tōō's darker one.

Midorima, from where he was standing, watched all of this in silence. He had told his team he wouldn't be coming to see this match, but he had been unable to resist. He wanted to see Kise's new play style, as well as Naruto's.

Would they win? Lose? There was no way to tell until they started playing.

Down on the court, the players all drowned out the cheering and any pointless distractions. They all focused on one another. Especially Naruto, Kise, and Aomine. It was so tense, the others could all taste it.

"So you've finally come," Aomine said, speaking to Kise for the first time.

Kise chuckled. "I should be the one saying that, Aominecchi."

"H'mph." Aomine's eyes went to Naruto, who was strangely quiet. "And you. You're Uzumaki Naruto, right?" A grin started to form on Aomine's face. "I've heard a lot about you. You're quite the player, aren't you? Maybe you'll give me more of a challenge than that other dropout."

Dropout? Ah, he must be talking about Kagami.

Naruto shrugged. "I can't speak for Kagami, but I do have one thing to say." He raised one finger. "Underestimate us, and you'll be in for a rude awakening."

Aomine didn't respond. He didn't have to. Whatever else they wanted to say to each other, it would be said through basketball.

The players from both teams lined up before the match, wishing the other good luck. On the bench to the side, Yuki bit her lip, still anxious about how all of this was going to go.

"You don't have to worry," the coach said, his arms crossed. "They told you earlier, right? Just have faith in them. Have faith in our aces."

Yeah…...she should.

Momoi tucked some of her hair back, her face serious. She had come very prepared for this game and had done everything she could to support her team. However, there were still many holes in her calculations that could decide this game. She was in the dark about this match's outcome just like the others. It was a new feeling for her, but she wouldn't let that distract her.

The tip-off was about to commence, and Wakamatsu, the loud center for Tōō, as well as Naruto stepped forward.

Wakamatsu furrowed his brow at this. 'Momoi said as much, but I'm still surprised. This guy…..'

He was the shortest on his team, but he was still doing the tip-off. Honestly, it was a big shock.

Aomine just looked on, not batting an eye to this.

Naruto flexed his arm a little, recalling what Kise had asked of him back in the locker room.

'T'ch, to say something like that…..'

The referee stepped in between the two players, ball in hand.

"The quarter-final game between Tōō Academy and Kaijō High will now begin!"

The audience's cheer grew further, but again none of the players focused on that.

There was a tense moment before the referee launched the ball in the air. It was almost like time had stopped. But, inevitably, it came. The ball was tossed, and the game began.

Both Naruto and Wakamatsu took to the air for it with exact precision. At first, with his longer arms, it looked like Wakamatsu was going to get it. But then, at the last second, it was Naruto who got to the ball first. He tipped it to the side, right to Kasamatsu who was already waiting for it.

'This bastard…..!' Wakamatsu cursed inside his head, gritting his teeth in frustration at his failure.

'Huh, it's even more impressive in person,' Imayoshi thought, amazed that someone of Naruto's stature could beat Wakamatsu like this.

But whatever. They couldn't let this slow them down.

"So it's finally started," Riko muttered from her seat.

The others all looked on, eager to see what was going to happen.

Kasamatsu stood before the glasses-wearing captain, dribbling the ball with ease. Some guessed that it would lead to a face-off against the two captains, but Kasamatsu had a different strategy in mind. Well, it couldn't really be called a "strategy," but whatever.

Imayoshi frowned as Kasamatsu threw the ball for a pass instead of facing. The pass went straight for Kise who caught it. And who was marking him? Why, Aomine of course.

"Already!?" Kagami was shocked, not believing that Kaijō was this bold.

Kuroko narrowed his eyes. He saw Naruto stepping back, but why? He should be eager to face Aomine too.

On the court, Kise and Aomine looked straight at one another, neither backing down.

'Uzumakicchi…...' Kise was a bit ashamed of himself. He had asked something unreasonable of his friend, but at the same time he couldn't help it.

He wanted to face Aomine one-on-one first. He needed to test himself here.

Aomine smirked. "What's the matter, Kise? Aren't you coming? Or did you get cold feet?"

The model's eyes narrowed. There was no verbal response from him. There was only action.

In one swift move, Kise went for a straightforward drive to get past Aomine. He did this to let his speed do the talking. And it amazed everyone from Seirin.

Kise had gotten even faster than before.

To Kise, for just a split second, it felt like he had gotten through Aomine's defense. But that sense of victory vanished when Aomine stepped back with perfect timing and slammed the ball right of Kise's hands.

"That kind of speed won't work on me, Kise!" Aomine declared, showcasing his wild instincts just fine.

Kise's eyes widened in shock, but the ball was already out of his hands.

The ball was loose for just a moment before Imayoshi came in and swooped it right up. He was grinning too.

He started to dribble down the court, intending to go right for the basket. That proved to be an impossibility as Kasamatsu caught up to him, just in time to stop him from going past the three-point line. This didn't slow Imayoshi down, though, as he quickly passed to Wakamatsu who was in a perfect position to score. Or, he was, but Kobori came in from this side for the defense. The two centers faced off in a quick match to see who could stop the other. And it was Kobori who came out on top, not allowing Wakamatsu to get into a good position to shoot.

'T'ch, so annoying!' With his earlier loss to Naruto, Wakamatsu was quickly becoming frustrated. But he knew, in his position, he wasn't going to score.

Might as well go to the outside then.

His pass was just as quick as Imayoshi's, but the target for this pass was Sakurai, their resident shooting guard. The frail looking boy quickly caught the ball and went for the shot before Moriyama had a chance to stop him.

'So fast!' Moriyama was silently impressed by this.

"I'm sorry!" Sakurai cried out as the ball started to leave his hands.

"Yeah, you should be." Sakurai's eyes widened as a new voice emerged from behind him. It was Naruto, who towered over him in the air in order to slap the ball away before it had a chance to go for the basket.

The ball went out of bounds, but Naruto was certain he had delivered his message loud and clear.

"Don't think you can take three-pointers that easily," he said as he glared at the shivering Sakurai. "Not when I'm around. You got that?"

"I-I'm sorry!"

Moriyama sighed. 'Well, Looks like he's ready to go.'

'No, it's not just that,' Yuki thought as she observed Naruto. 'He looks…...annoyed about something.'.

But what? The game had just started!

"Heh?" Aomine placed a hand on his hips. "Not bad. Looks like you got some power in you, Uzumaki."

Naruto didn't care about the lack of honorific in his name. He wasn't one to pay attention to such things. He simply gave Aomine a side glance before returning to his position.

Aomine narrowed his eyes at this but didn't say anything further.

"Hmm." Harasawa, the coach for Tōō hummed after the play. "It's just as we feared. He's a strong player."

Momoi simply nodded, agreeing.

Up above, Kiyoshi was making his own observation. "He jumps like Kagami. No….it's different. He has more explosive power than anyone else I've ever seen."

"That's the one thing that surprises you the most about that guy," Hyūga said. "He doesn't look like it, but it's almost like his whole body radiates power. Stopping a guy like that…..."

He could say it was impossible, but if anyone could do it, it was someone from the Generation of Miracles.

Kise simply frowned and pushed his guilt away.

The ball was tossed back in, and it was in Imayoshi's hands. He was still smiling despite their first play being shut down.

'Hai, hai. You're quite impressive. We were already prepared for this. But in the end…..'

No one could beat Aomine.

To prove his point, he passed the ball right to Aomine. Kise already stood in front of him, ready to be on the defensive this time.

There was a brief pause as Aomine dribbled the ball. But in an instant, he moved forward at lighting speed. Kise stayed with him, though, cutting off his advance. But that wasn't all. Aomine suddenly bounced the ball to his other hand where he caught it for a fast break in the other direction.

'So fast!' Kagami thought with wide-eyed. He knew that, at that point, he would no longer be able to keep up with Aomine.

It was a different story for Kise, though, who was still marking Aomine and cutting off his advance for a second time.

'T'ch, I've never seen anyone keep up with Aomine like this,' Imayoshi thought in a rare show of surprise. But that surprise turned to satisfaction soon enough. 'However…..'

Aomine quickly pulled off the same move for a second time, cutting to his original path at the last second.

'Shit!' Kise found himself slow to react this time. It was just like when he first met Naruto on that street court all those weeks ago. No, perhaps it was faster? Kise wasn't sure, but he had no time to think as Aomine successfully got past him.

Except….that wasn't entirely the case.

'Wait, what!?' Susa, the small forward for Tōō, was shocked to discover that his mark was not next to him anymore. And who was his mark? Why, Naruto of course. The same Naruto who was suddenly slapping the ball out of Aomine's hand before the tanned boy had any time to react.

From her seat, Momoi audibly gasped. And why wouldn't she? It was the first time she was seeing something like this. Aomine….having the ball stolen from him? It had been an impossibility. Until today, that is.

Shock spread to everyone in Seirin too. They hadn't been able to keep up with Naruto's movements until he had slapped the ball away. Had he gotten faster too!?

Instead of having the ball go out of bound again, Naruto quickly caught it with his other hand before he charged forward. He left a stunned Kise and Aomine behind. This forced Wakamatsu to come to the defense, but it wasn't enough.

Naruto dunked right through the taller center like it was nothing.

'Just how much power do you have!?' he screamed in his mind as Naruto scored the first two points in the game.

The audience went wild in their cheering. They had just witnessed someone steal the ball from Aomine, the ace. Of course they were going to be pumped.

"Naruto-kun," Yuki muttered, also surprised by his sudden play.

As Naruto landed back on the floor, he turned to Kise with a small bitter grin.

"Sorry, Kise. But you already know me. I'm not the patient type."

Naruto understood what Kise was trying to do here, but he couldn't just step aside for it either. He wasn't that nice of a guy.

Kise let his surprise wash over him. He sighed and shook his head. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. I was just being selfish and trying to have all the fun for myself. That said….." He walked to stand next to his fellow blond so he could place a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I'm not going to be left behind." He might have been defeated just now, but that only meant he had to try harder. And he had plenty to give.

They stood together and faced Aomine who let a wide smirk befall his face. So they were coming after him together, huh?

"How interesting….."

He had nothing else to say. The challenge was given, and it was his job to return it.

The match between Kaijō and Tōō had just begun.

* * *

 **Some of you may be annoyed that I breezed right through the preliminaries, but after careful consideration it was the only thing I could do. Having a team that could stand to** _ **both**_ **Naruto and Kise without a member of the Generation of Miracles or even an Uncrowned King is just…..it's just not possible. Normal players just don't cut it. So I hope you understand.**

 **With that out of the way, we now move on to the first official match with a Generation of Miracles. And it's Aomine. I don't have much control over the Inter-High's initial setup unfortunately. The Winter Cup will be different, but we're still ways off before we get there.**

 **Anyway. Hope you've enjoyed it.**

 **Till next time.**


	6. Conviction

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5:  
** **Conviction**

"Oh, that's a relief. It looks like I haven't missed much."

Kaga Michiko was like a little kid on Christmas as she walked into the large room where the first quarter-final game of the Inter-High was being held. She had a pair of dark sunglasses on, but even in the crowded arena she could see pretty well. She had two aids with her, or "bodyguards" if you will. They always accompanied her at all times. Another way to put it, they were like her secretaries. One of these two men was Yuki's father, Sugawara Eiji. He was well-built for a man of his age. He had dark hair and dark stern eyes. From that, anyone could see that Yuki didn't get her looks from him, but rather her mother.

"Oooooohh, but things are looking so serious already~" Michiko found herself a seat at the very top of the viewing area. Her two aids sat next to her. It wasn't exactly comfortably to be in such a crowded area with suits, but they would bear with it.

Eiji glanced down to find his daughter. It didn't take him long. She really stood out down there.

Michiko giggled like a schoolgirl as she pulled out a camera and started taking picture after picture of Naruto, who was glaring right at Aomine.

"My Naruto looks so serious. He's so different from usual. It's adorable!"

She squealed some, causing other nearby audience members to look at her like she was crazy.

Her other aid sweatdropped. "K-Kaga-sama, I know that you're excited to see your son play live for the first time. But this is…..."

Couldn't she be a little bit more dignified? She was the head of a company, after all!

"Eh? Don't start lecturing me, Hiroji." The woman almost pouted. "I made sure to get all my work done just so that I could come all the way out here for this. I haven't even been able to see my son for most of the summer. Don't ruin this moment for me."

Practice and matches had kept Naruto out of the house after his team got to qualify for the Inter-High. After that, he had to come all the way to this city for the tournament. He was lodging at a hotel with the rest of his teammates, which meant he hadn't been home for almost a week now. That's why Michiko was so excited for today. She was able to see her baby boy for the first time in over a week. She was glad Yuki had texted her about this.

Ito Hiroji, the other aid, looked like he wanted to say something else. He was a rather timid looking fellow. The exact opposite of Eiji. But he had still managed to climb his way to this position, even with all the competition. That's why he was able to have confidence in himself, despite what his looks would suggest.

"Just drop it, Hiroji," Eiji spoke up. "Let Kaga-sama have this moment. The attention isn't on us, after all."

No, it was on the players down in the court.

Hiroji sighed but relented, saying nothing else.

Michiko smiled as she snapped more pictures.

'Now, Naruto. Let me see you play.'

* * *

Unaware of his mother's presence in the arena, Naruto glared directly at Aomine who was staring back at him and Kise.

"Is that what you're going to do? Fight me together? Ha, don't make me laugh. You've gotten soft, Kise!" He narrowed his eyes somewhat. "Or is it that you've started thinking like Tetsu after losing to him?"

"Don't misunderstand the situation, Aominecchi," Kise responded with a half-smile. "I'm only doing everything in my power to defeat you. I don't have any other incentive but that."

Although, if Kise was being honest, he had come to respect Kuroko's way of thinking. That had no bearing in this match, though. In the end, it just had to do with his selfish desire to win against Aomine for the first time.

"Stop worrying about such pointless things," Naruto said as he made his way back to the others. "If there's anything else you got to say, then say it on the court. Otherwise, shut up."

Kise pouted as he followed his friend. "That's just mean, Uzumakicchi! I was trying to be cool there, ya know!"

"That's what makes you so uncool."

"That hurts my feelings!"

"Like I care, dumbass."

Kise could only cry more. He was always being mistreated!

Aomine watched them go. He had to laugh a little at the sight. They were certainly amusing, he would give them that. They even had more skill than he had anticipated. Stealing the ball from him like that…...it just got his blood pumping.

'It looks like I might be able to play harder this time…...!'

He couldn't ask for more.

On the side, Momoi noticed Aomine's change of attitude. While he had been sort of interested when facing Kuroko, he hadn't been outright excited either. If anything, he had become disappointed almost immediately. But now…...this went beyond excitement. She couldn't describe it. But she knew one thing.

Aomine wasn't going to play easy for this game.

Yuki was just happy to see that Naruto was no longer annoyed. Playing like that would just lead to mistakes.

"Alright, we can keep going like this," the coach said next to her. "Kise and Uzumaki seem to be on board with the strategy too."

"Understand? Understand what, sensei?" the girl asked, not understanding.

The coach just smiled, though. "You'll see soon enough."

She would indeed.

* * *

Even with that surprising turnaround, the game was only just starting. Wakamatsu had the ball and was looking to throw it in. He was scowling as he passed it to Imayoshi.

'T'ch, don't get ahead of yourselves just because you managed to stop Aomine once, you shitheads.'

Being underestimated like this…...it really pissed Wakamatsu off.

"Now, now, there's no reason to act so rashly," Imayoshi said as he started to slowly dribble the ball down the court. "We should take it easy." He was stopped right before he could cross the center line by Kasamatsu, who looked more than determined to get another turnaround. Capitalizing on Naruto's small victory against Aomine would be a sure way to take the first quarter for themselves.

Imayoshi knew this well. That's why he needed to crush that hope right away.

The two captains had a small stare-off before Imayoshi went on the attack. He tried to dribble past Kasamatsu, but the Kaijō captain wasn't going to let that happen so easily. He might not have as a tight defense as Nakamura, but he still made sure to keep up the pressure.

'This guy…...' Imayoshi frowned somewhat as he stopped for a moment. 'He's really serious about this, huh?'

So bothersome. Going so serious so early in the game…...well, expecting something different from them would be ridiculous too.

Imayoshi went on the move again, only this time it wasn't to get around Kasamatsu. He yielded this small defeat, but it wasn't like he was going to give up the game either. He threw a quick pass to Wakamatsu, who was open.

With the ball in hand, the center quickly charged for the basket. A quick attack was the only way to catch Kaijō off guard. He knew this well, but like before Kobori stood in his way. Unlike before, though, Wakamatsu was in a better position to attack. He did a rather quick spin to get around, which caught Kobori off guard. Centers who could move this swiftly were rare. He still managed to jump in time to mount a defense against Wakamatsu's attack, though. But that did little good as Wakamatsu was able to get his layup in time to score.

It wasn't as exciting as before, but the end result was the same. Tōō had just paid Kaijō back.

"It looks like Tōō has more than enough strength to push forward," Kiyoshi noted, impressed by Wakamatsu's performance.

"Stopping them here would have been a great benefit to Kaijō," Riko said, her eyes narrowed. "But….."

"Don't get so excited, you fools!" Kasamatsu didn't waste throwing the ball back in, right to Naruto's hands. And it was he who stood before Aomine this time, not Kise.

"Looks like they're taking the direct approach," Riko finished, not surprised by Kasamatsu's pass. But she was surprised by this change up.

Down on the court, everything seemed to stop for a second. Even Aomine was a little surprised. He hadn't noticed Naruto and Kise changing marks, but here it was. Naruto, facing off against him.

'W-What's going on?' Imayoshi was confused. He was certain Kise would be sticking against Aomine. But this was…...

Kagami leaned forward in his seat in anticipation. 'So it's a one-on-one…..Uzumaki versus Aomine…'

It would be their first clash with no outside interference.

Kise stood by Susa. The blond didn't look annoyed or anything. No, he was focused. More focused than he had ever been before. This strategy left him feeling a little sour since it looked like he was retreating. But that couldn't be helped. It was like he had said earlier. He wanted to win here.

He was willing to do anything for that.

Aomine didn't let this bug him for long, though. Instead, he grinned. "Bring it, Uzumaki."

Naruto didn't answer. He dribbled the ball for a second or so before every muscle in his body tensed. Aomine could see it. The moment of attack was coming.

It was almost like wind had gathered around the Uzumaki as he quickly took off to the right in a straightforward drive, just like Kise had attempted. But Aomine was right there, blocking his path. In response, Naruto dribbled the ball harder to make it bounce higher than before. It did, shooting to the left.

Momoi gasped again. 'That's-!'

With his quick reaction time, Naruto grabbed the airborne ball and bolted to the left, where it was open.

'Ha, not bad!' If Aomine was shocked to see his own movements used against him like this, he didn't let it bother him. Instead, he swiftly backpedaled to his right, exactly where Naruto was. Naruto's show of speed was doing nothing to slow him down.

'It's no use!' Yuki thought with wide eyes. 'He can't get around!'

'Yeah, that's pretty much it,' a smiling Imayoshi thought. 'Working together might produce a better result, but if he's alone, there's no way Uzumaki can-'

The words were drowned from his mind when Naruto pulled off a second fake. He tossed the ball behind his back. It was through this that he was able to catch it with his right hand again, before he shot back to his original path.

Aomine saw the movements and aimed to cut him off again. But Naruto had moved so perfectly, that he was a split of a second too late to react in time.

That's all Naruto needed. He was able to get past Aomine, at which point he went right for the basket.

'Oi, that's just-!' Imayoshi was frozen in place, disbelief visible on his face. The other Tōō players had similar reactions. Only Aomine didn't let this stop him, as he quickly chased after Naruto who was already making to jump for the dunk.

"Don't think it's that easy!" Aomine shouted as he jumped to slam the ball down.

A small grin reached Naruto's face. "No, that's just not going to cut it."

Aomine didn't understand what he meant by that, but when he saw the blond bringing his arm back he pieced it together.

'This bastard, he can't be…...!'

But he was. Naruto brought his arm forward again, where he shot the ball right for the basket. Aomine's hand was unable to catch up in time, and so the ball went in uncontested.

Naruto scored.

The audience started cheering again, amazed by what they had just seen.

"Y-You have to be kidding me," a shocked Furihata said from his seat. "What he did just now….."

Kuroko slowly nodded. "Yes. Uzumaki-kun pulled off a Formless Shot again Aomine-kun."

In his match against Kise, Naruto had done the same thing. But at the time, it had looked clumsy and kind of awkward. But now, it was more refined. The shot had been done with the utmost confidence. With that sort of mindset, there was no way it wasn't going in.

"But scoring a shot like that on Aomine of all people…..." Hyūga trailed off. He was too in awe to be able to speak right now.

That mentally rang true for the players in Tōō too. They hadn't been expecting for a move like that to work. Not against Aomine.

"You're crazy in more ways than one," Kasamatsu said as he slapped Naruto in the back.

"Goddammit, that hurts, captain!" the blond flinched. The older teen had some strength in him.

"But it's only if you're crazy that you can win," Moriyama said as he smiled.

"That about sums it up." Kobori nodded.

Kise chuckled. "Honestly. You still surprise me, Uzumakicchi."

"I don't want to hear that from you, Kise," Naruto shot back. He then frowned. "Besides, you're the one who-"

"There's no need to worry about me." Kise turned his back to him. "You just keep doing what you're doing. I'll get there soon enough."

Naruto continued to frown but said nothing else. If that's what Kise had decided, then so be it. He would support it.

With Tōō, Imayoshi walked over to the still Aomine who was just looking up at the basket. "Aomine, what just-"

"I don't have time for your questions right now." Aomine turned to look to Naruto with a wide grin. "Just give me the ball. The fun's about to start."

"You bastard, do you have any what-"

"Wakamatsu." Imayoshi stopped the center. "Just do as he says."

"But captain-!"

"Or do you think you can take on Uzumaki yourself?"

That made Wakamatsu go quiet. He already knew he couldn't. He still scowled, though.

'We really can't let our guard down in this game,' Imayoshi thought with a mental sigh. He hadn't thought this would be an easy game, but this was already proving to be tougher than they had expected.

What a pain.

The ball was live again soon after, and it went straight to Aomine. Naruto was already on him, the two ready to face each other again.

Harasawa played with one of his locks, his brow furrowed. "This is not what we planned for."

Next to him, Momoi was in agreement. She was sure it was Kise who would be leading the attack and defense on Aomine, not Naruto. But all he was doing was sticking close to Susa. Was he trying to let Naruto win the game for them? No, that couldn't be it. Kise's pride wouldn't allow it. So what then?

It was this point that Momoi noticed Kise's eyes. He was staring intently at Naruto and Aomine. Almost like…..he was examining them. But that…..that couldn't be right.

'He couldn't be trying to…...'

Fully determined, Aomine charged forward. He did a quick left, with Naruto sticking on him undeterred. This was followed by a quick spin from Aomine, which Naruto was still able to keep up with. This didn't dissuade Aomine from continuing with his charge, though, as he did a crossover, followed by a second one. Through all of this, Naruto was somehow able to keep up with the ace. It was unbelievable for all those watching. Such rapid movements like this…..

'Does Uzumaki have experience with street ball!?' Kagami thought, amazed by Naruto's reaction time. He knew it was something he still couldn't do it, which just frustrated him further.

Despite the excellent defense from Naruto's part, Aomine still kept pressing forward. This led to the two steering to one of the corners of the court without realizing it.

'Yeah!' Moriyama cheered. 'There's no way Aomine will be able to-!'

Moving just as fast as ever, Aomine did a quick spin to face the basket, at which point he threw the ball from the corner of the court. Naruto went for the jump to defend, but he knew he wasn't going to make it. He wasn't able to react appropriately this time.

Even at such an awkward angle and at a weird position, the ball still made it in.

The audience's cheer grew at this showing.

'That's, like, impossible!' Yuki thought, astonished. She couldn't believe someone could shoot like that and still score.

Aomine smirked as he clenched his hand. "Don't think you can stop me with such a halfhearted defense. You have to come at me with the intent to kill. Anything else isn't going to cut it!"

Naruto growled but kept his mouth shut. Talking back would be pointless. That had been his loss.

But this just meant he was going to have to pay him back.

Vowing to do as much, Naruto was in the possession of the ball again, and Aomine was right there to face him.

Naruto went in, and to Aomine's surprise, the blond was faster this time. But that surprise didn't last long, as Aomine's speed increased as well, the two reacting perfectly one to another.

It was a deadlock between the two powerful players.

This made some wonder if Naruto was going to try another formless shot again, as in that would be the surefire way to score on Aomine. But that didn't prove to be the case as Naruto dribbled the ball through his legs for a quick crossover that had him in the perfect position for his favorite move. And that is, to dunk.

"That ain't gonna work on me!" Aomine screams as he jumped right as Naruto jumped.

Kasamatsu gritted his teeth when he saw this. 'Dammit! He's going to stop him!'

By all accounts, he was right. Aomine was in the perfect position to stop Naruto's dunk. But that didn't happen. Instead, Naruto pulled off another impressive play. He managed to dunk right through Aomine, knocking his hand out of the way like it wasn't even there to begin with.

Aomine t'ched. 'This guy…...'

He had more power than Aomine had expected.

"That's insane! He dunked through Aomine, the ace!"

"Yeah! The two are going head-to-head!"

"There's no telling who's going to come out on top!"

These were the comments flying through the audience as they cheered even louder. Seeing Naruto and Aomine face each other like this was getting them exhilarated.

Naruto and Aomine both fell back to the floor, glaring at one another.

On the bench, Nakamura had one hand over his chest as he let out a sigh. "Honestly, that caught me by surprise. I didn't Uzumaki was going to do that."

The coach's eyes were narrowed, but otherwise he said nothing.

Yuki was quiet too, but she was staring right at Naruto. She was still a newbie when it came to sports, but that had nothing to do with her understanding of Naruto. They had known each other for almost a year now. In that time, Naruto had told her many things. And one of those things was his personal fear toward his power. It made him think that he could destroy anyone because of it. And due to that fear, Yuki always suspected that Naruto was suppressing all that strength he had in him, probably without realizing it.

That had started to change after facing Kise. And now…...

" _It feels great, Yuki,"_ he had told her when they had been walking home after practice one day. _"It's amazing not having to hold back so much all the time. And if the rest of the Generation of Miracles are like Kise, I might be able to go even harder!"_

He had looked so excited when he had told her that. Yuki had wanted to hug him right then and there. And what she was seeing now…...

'Is he able to release more of his strength now…..?'

Because he was facing such a tough opponent, is that what was happening?

Momoi was able to see the same thing. She had tried to make many predictions about Naruto's growth so that the team could use it to try and stop him. But with this, it was clear that was meaningless. If he was able to knock Aomine away like that, then the others would not be able to do anything.

"Ha, Uzumakicchi…...you're incredible," Kise muttered to himself. Once again, he was reminded of the first time he had watched Aomine play. That sense of admiration...it truly made him exuberant all over again. That's why he squashed that feeling down.

The match continued.

* * *

For the four other Tōō players on the court, it felt like they had just been running back and forth during the whole first quarter. You could understand how annoying it must feel, to be treated like side players. Like they didn't matter. If that's what it took to win, Imayoshi didn't really mind. This was a battle against the Generation of Miracles, after all. It was bound to happen.

Wakamatsu was a different story.

"You think we're just going to sit on the sidelines forever, huh!?"

Naruto, who was in possession of the ball again, simply stared at the taller center who was now on him. He had practically taken to defend him by force this time around. The blond also noticed Sakurai quickly approaching in the back. So they were trying to double-team him, huh? They probably thought he wasn't going to pass to his teammates, like Aomine.

'Don't make me laugh,' Kasamatsu thought as he saw this. 'It's not about friendship. There's only one course of action. And we all understand this.'

Moriyama, Kobori, and Kise were in agreement.

Destroy them.

Smirking, Naruto did a simple rush to the left, pumping much of his power to his legs to increase his speed. And it worked. Wakamatsu was far too slow to even attempt to block him.

"If you're not Aomine, you can't stop me!" he said as Sakurai ran to stop him this time. It was the same result really. Naruto simply dashed past him with so much speed, that Sakurai wasn't able to do anything about it.

'T-This is insane!' the apologetic shooter thought. 'It's just like Aomine-san!'

With that kind of speed, there was no way they could stop the blond. Heck, it was almost like they weren't even on the court!

And so, Naruto was free to dunk the ball on their basket.

"SLAM IT IN!" everyone else shouted. It's exactly what Naruto intended to do, but that didn't end up happening. Why? Because Aomine arrived at the last moment to knock the ball out of Naruto's hand before he could score.

"Aomine-san!" Sakurai said in relief, glad to see that the ball hadn't gone in. That would have made their position worse, something they didn't need right now.

Naruto clicked his teeth together in annoyance while Aomine smirked.

"Don't start forgetting about me, Uzumaki. I'm different from the rest. That kind of shot won't work on me."

The ball went out of bounds, but that mattered very little to the blond right now. Being block like this was annoying, but against Aomine it was just something that was bound to happen. If he wanted to score, he was going to need more power.

"Don't worry about it," Moriyama said as Naruto fell back with the others. "That was a nice attempt."

Kise gave him a thumbs up. "Pretty sweet, Uzumakicchi."

So cheesy. But nevertheless, Naruto did smile. Being part of a team like this…..it was fun.

With Tōō, Imayoshi prepared to throw the ball back in as Wakamatsu approached him.

"Captain, you gotta move the ball around more. At this rate-"

"Don't start saying nonsense," Aomine cut in with a glare. "What did I tell you? Pass me the ball. I finally have a _real_ opponent. Don't get in my way."

Wakamatsu looked ready to murder someone right about now. And that someone was probably Aomine.

Imayoshi sighed, feeling mentally exhausted already. 'True. If we passed more, it would be easier to get around Uzumaki's defense. But…...'

For that to work, they would need Aomine to cooperate with them. Basically, for him to start acting like he was on a team rather than playing alone. But Aomine would never do that. He would never pass. It just wasn't like him. There was also Kise to consider. The other blond hadn't been doing anything all throughout the first quarter but sticking close to his mark, which just made Imayoshi uneasy. What was Kaijō thinking? What was their strategy?

Well, there was less than a minute left in the first quarter, and they were tied. They needed to make this play count.

Naruto and the others all prepared themselves for the counterattack, and just like before it was Aomine who was leading the attack. Which meant there was only one thing for them to do. Have Naruto stop him.

"T'ch, what the hell is all this?" Kagami said to the others as they watched this. "Why is only Uzumaki going against Aomine? Is Kise not going to do anything?"

Kuroko frowned again. He thought he had a pretty good guess as to what Kise was waiting for, but it was still too early to tell.

"It's still only the first quarter, Kagami," Kiyoshi said in return. "A lot can still change. Besides, Uzumaki has been pretty effective against Aomine so far. If something works, there's no reason to change it."

That was the gist of it. It just made Kagami unhappy to see Kise playing like this. He knew Kise was better than this.

Below, Aomine stared at the blond before him who was in a relaxed defensive stance. It was the same stance he had taken this whole time. Aomine knew why. It offered the Uzumaki the best mobility and reaction time for his moves.

It's exactly what Aomine wanted from his opponent.

Aomine charged the same way he had all throughout the first quarter, with his amazing speed and quick moves. Naruto kept on him, no matter what Aomine tried to pull. This only motivated Aomine further, and the tanned player jumped back with his two hands on the ball. He leaned back, his whole body nearly parallel to the floor of the court. It was plain to see what he was going for. It was his fadeaway jump shot, which Kagami had been unable to do anything against in his match against Aomine.

"There it is!" Koganei exclaimed as he leaned in closer. "It's that shot again!"

Kagami's body trembled. What was Naruto going to do about this?

'Don't mock me!' Naruto launched to the air with incredible force, and this time he jumped higher than he had ever before. It was because of this that he was able to slam the ball back down the moment Aomine threw it, performing the perfect block. A block not even Kagami had been able to pull off.

It was here that Aomine felt more startled, and more amazed, than he had ever before. And he wasn't alone in that.

Up in the audience, Midorima's eyes went wide. 'He blocked a perfectly executed shot from Aomine!?'

This was the first time Midorima saw something like this. No one should be able to block that kind of shot. It could be called something of a miracle.

'No way…...' Imayoshi felt something akin to goosebumps right now. And with good reason. Getting into a high enough position to block a shot from Aomine...was this guy even human!?

As for Naruto, he leveled another glare upon Aomine. "You don't have the time to take it easy. Not with me. You got that?"

Aomine's whole body shook in anger now. "Bastard…..."

Koganei leaned back in his seat, breathless. "Unbelievable…...not even Kagami was able to block that shot."

Next to him, the quiet Mitobe silently nodded his head in agreement.

Kagami wanted to hit something right now. He was that frustrated. He didn't want to think he was weak. But with what he was seeing right now…..it was easy to get dissuaded.

Kuroko simply kept watching on, enthralled by the game. Would Aomine actually lose here? That thought was beginning to take hold in his mind.

'No, this game has just started.'

There was no way Aomine would lose. Not from this.

* * *

The coach on Tōō's side eyed the clock. There were about twenty-five seconds left in the quarter, and counting. He too was shocked right now, but that couldn't let that slow down the team. They needed to stop Kaijō's advance, here and now.

The rest of Tōō all took up defensive positions, sticking close to their mark. But they knew it was pointless as Naruto moved forward with the ball. Only one person had a chance here.

Aomine stood in Naruto's path, looking more serious and more determined than he had before. The air around him had shifted. It was clear that he wasn't taking this lightly. Not anymore.

'So you're finally going in hard, huh?' Naruto thought. He glanced over to the clock to see that it was down to ten seconds. He could try to get around in that time, but it would be cutting it close. Especially against Aomine.

He smirked. 'Oh, well.'

Aomine's eyes narrowed when he saw what Naruto was trying to do. He jumped into the air at the same time Naruto did, ready to pay him back for the earlier block. Except Naruto wasn't going for the shot. No, he was going for a pass.

'A fake!?' Aomine thought when Naruto lowered his hand. It was the last thing he had been expecting the blond to do, which is why Aomine was caught completely off-guard. Everyone else in Tōō felt the same way.

Why was the blond passing now!?

The pass was made to Moriyama, who caught the ball with no difficulty. Shaking out of his stupor, Sakurai rushed to mount his defense against Kaijō's shooter. But he was too slow for that, and Moriyama launched his Irregular Shot with no problem.

'What kind of form is that!?' Sakurai thought with wide eyes as he watched the ball go into the basket for a buzzer beater. He couldn't understand it at all. Moriyama's form was just too weird. But it was effective. That couldn't be denied.

The three-pointer was good, which broke the tie just at the end of the first quarter. Kaijō was ahead, 25 to 22. They had managed to take the first quarter against Tōō, something Seirin had failed to do in their game even with Aomine absent from the game.

This was a fact none of the Seirin players missed.

Aomine turned to Naruto with confusion. "You-"

"Don't think we're the same," Naruto cut him off. "Unlike you, I have no problem relying on my teammates at moments like this. That's why you couldn't predict my move. That's what makes us different."

Is that so?

Confusion left Aomine's face, which was replaced by anger and determination. He said nothing else as he turned to his bench where the rest of his team was. The two minute break had just started, after all. But he would be back for more.

Naruto watched him go until Moriyama came in and patted him in the back.

"Thanks for that. It felt great shooting that final shot."

Naruto grinned in return. "Yeah, happy to help."

The other three looked back and shook their heads, amused.

"Let's go, you idiots," Kasamatsu said as he led them off the court. "This battle isn't over yet."

Yeah, it was still only beginning.

* * *

"Urgh, that was tiring," Naruto said as he practically fell on Yuki's lap. "I haven't played this hard since I beat Kise."

"That was a tie, and you know it!" Kise shouted from where he sat.

Naruto ignored him.

Yuki shot the boy a smile as she gave him his water bottle. "Oh, please. You're a terrible liar. We all know you're enjoying yourself. You can't hide how you really feel, Naruto-kun."

"Eh, is that so?" Naruto opened his mouth as Yuki began to feed him some of the lemon slices she had prepared the night before, just for him.

Moriyama shook in jealousy. "Why is it always him dammit!?" He wanted that treatment!

"You d(on)'t ha(ve) to c(ry) Mo(ri)yama-san!" Hayakawa tried to be encouraging, but no one could understand him still. Heck, his gibberish was getting worse. But that tended to happen when he was overly-excited, like now.

"H'mph." The coach looked at his team, feeling proud. "We've been doing well so far. However, I'm not convinced that this is enough to win."

"You can say that again." Kise glanced over to where Aomine was sitting. But the boy had a towel draped around his neck, so it was hard to tell what kind of expression he was making right now. Anger? Worry? Enthusiasm?

Kasamatsu gulped down the rest of his water before looking at Kise. "What about you? How are things on your end?"

Smiling, Kise answered, "I'm more than ready. Thanks to Uzumakicchi's big showing, I have enough."

Kobori sighed in relief. "That's good to know. I was starting to get worried."

"What was that, senpai?" Naruto said, sounding a bit put off. "You think I couldn't do this alone?"

"T-That's not what I meant at all!" Kobori quickly replied. "It's just better to take all precautions! In case something big happens. You know?"

Naruto would have argued more, but the way Yuki was running her hands through his hair was more than enough to pacify him. She already knew where all his weak spots were.

"I really want to punch him," the jealous Moriyama said with a shaking fist.

"You (ca)n't do t(ha)t Mori(ya)ma-san! Not (be)fore m(e)!"

Kasamatsu facepalmed. This team…...this team was just too much sometimes.

* * *

Moriyama wasn't the only jealous player. Up on the second floor, Kawahara was crying tears of pure rage and envy.

"W-Why? Why is it always someone else?"

Next to him, Fukuda and Furihata were thinking the same thing, also in tears. First, it had been Kuroko with Momoi. The dullest guy they knew had such a girl going after him. And now, it was Naruto with that purple-haired girl. And her boobs were just as big as Momoi's! Even with the team jacket she wore, they could still notice the big lumps of flesh jiggle ever so often. It was such a cruel sight for them.

Koganei folded his arms and did his best to remain upbeat about the situation. But it was hard to do. He wanted to be pampered like that too!

Riko's eyebrow twitched at this. She could practically hear the thoughts from the idiots above her. Why did all the girls that showed up around here have big boobs? Was life trying to mess with her or something?

'Stupid sacks of fat...'

"The first quarter didn't go the way I expected," Kagami suddenly said. Unlike the other four, he wasn't swayed by Yuki's beauty. He was more focused on the game. "Does Kise think that he doesn't have to do anything against Aomine?"

"That's not it at all," Kuroko spoke up. "I believe Kise-kun is fighting too, in his own way. He also trusts Uzumaki-kun. That's why he was able to entrust the first quarter to him."

Kagami didn't get it. "What does that mean?"

It wasn't Kuroko that answered, but Riko. "It means that Kise is more than likely trying to copy Aomine's moves."

"What!?" Kagami shouted, totally not expecting that answer.

Kiyoshi hummed. "So that's what it is…..." A lot of things would start making sense if that was the case.

"But I thought Kise couldn't copy the Generation of Miracles?" Hyūga asked, unsure.

"Yes, in Teikō, Kise-kun was always unable to copy what the others could do." Kuroko looked down to Kise, who was smiling at something Moriyama was saying. "However, he was able to copy Uzumaki-kun's moves just fine in their practice match. And you have all seen what he can do. He has the same style as Aomine-kun. They're both erratic, and they let their power burst out of their bodies like a bomb. You can't be sure of what they're going to do until after they've done it, and by that point it's already too late to stop them."

"Yeah, but not even Uzumaki is moving like he was before." Kagami glared down at Naruto, who was oblivious to all of this. "This makes his performance against Kise look like a joke."

"Yes, that's precisely why Kise-kun is taking his time," Kuroko explained. "Otherwise, if he went up against Aomine-kun as he is, he'd lose. That's what he was able to learn after facing Aomine-kun at the beginning of the quarter."

Hyūga caught on now. "So that's why he's not doing anything. He wants to make sure his copy is perfect before taking on Aomine."

"That's right. However." Kuroko's eyes shifted to Aomine. "Aomine-kun always gets stronger the tougher his opponent is. He plays with more focus, and his skills intensify. I'm not sure if Uzumaki-kun and Kise-kun are going to be able to keep up with that."

So it was like that. Who was going to buckle first? Perhaps the second quarter would decide that.

* * *

"Hmm, it seems our children are pretty close, huh Eiji?"

Said man placed a hand over his forehead to reign in his rage at what he was seeing.

"Y-Yes, it would appear so, ma'am. It's quite...jovial, isn't it?"

Michiko was amused by the man's reaction. He was very protective of his daughter. So the fact that Naruto was this close to her was really getting to him.

"I never thought basketball games could be this exciting," Hiroji remarked in awe. "Your son is amazing, Kaga-sama."

The woman raised her head with pride. "But of course. I wouldn't expect any less from him."

Is that so?

"So do you think he's going to win?" Hiroji asked.

"That's tough to tell right now." Eiji placed a hand under his chin. "From what we've seen, neither team is going one hundred percent yet. They've just left it up to their respective star players to do all the leg work. But that can't last forever. Soon, that balance will break. The team that isn't able to recover from that will most definitely be the loser today."

Michiko and Hiroji were both looking at him like he had grown a second head. He stared back, confused.

"W-What? Is there something on my face?"

Hiroji slowly shook his head. "I-It's not that. It's just…..Eiji-san, you know basketball?"

"O-Oh. That." Blushing a bit, the man readjusted his tie and said, "I played some back in my college years. That's all."

Woah. Hiroji never would have guessed. He always pictured the older man to be above sports.

Michiko smiled and said, "My Naruto would never fall under pressure. If anything, that's when he's at his best."

That's why, she was certain he would win today.

* * *

"What are we going to do about this?" It was Wakamatsu who asked the most prudent question for them. "If we just leave it all to Aomine-"

"T'ch, how many times are you going to say the same damn thing?" Aomine didn't bother to raise his head, but his words carried his mood just fine. "Don't interfere with my play, you dumbass. Is that hard to understand?"

Having had enough, Wakamatsu stood up from the bench and pointed at Aomine in anger.

"When are you going to stop thinking about yourself and realize you're not the only one playing out there, huh!? Did you not hear what Momoi just said!? Kise is trying to copy your moves! You can't even handle Uzumaki by yourself! If Kise joins in, then-!"

"I can't what now?" Aomine did lift his head this time. He did this so that he could level a glare so intense on the center that it made him freeze. "Don't get the wrong idea, you fool. I can't take him on? What are you even saying? The only one who can beat me is me. It doesn't matter what they do. That's not going to change the outcome."

Imayoshi looked away with a sigh. This was going as well as he expected. Which was not well at all.

Momoi was looking away as well. She had already explained to them the reason for Kise's lack of involvement in the first quarter. It wouldn't take that long for him to fully copy Aomine's style. She predicted that he would be ready by the third quarter, at the earliest. If that happened, they would be in serious trouble. That's why they needed to push forward in the second quarter. They needed to have a big enough lead to where couldn't Kaijō couldn't keep up, even with Kise on the court. But Aomine refused to listen. He was still going to play his own way. That left them with little options.

The break was quickly coming to an end, and Imayoshi stood up with the rest of the team.

'We have to do what we can.'

They couldn't let Kaijō get any further ahead. That would just make things harder for them in the second half.

Aomine was the last one to stand up, but his presence was stronger than any of the others.

He was more than ready.

Momoi watched him go, her eyes brimming with dejection. 'Aomine-kun…...'

Why couldn't the idiot listen to her for once?

There was nothing else she could do but watch, however. The second quarter was here now.

* * *

The players from both teams took their places as the crowd began to cheer again. They were more than set to keep watching the match unfold. That was how much excitement Naruto and Aomine had been able to spark with their one-on-one's.

None of the Tōō players were surprised to see Naruto still marking Aomine. There was no reason for Kaijō to change their strategy when it was working so well. No, it was Tōō that needed to think of something here. But without Aomine willing to listen to them…..

Imayoshi nearly scowled as the ball was made live again, which officially started the second quarter.

With quickness in their steps, Tōō began to move the ball around, but without passing it to Aomine.

"Oh?" the coach had one hand covering his mouth. "So they're trying to get around Uzumaki, huh?"

However…..

The ball reached Sakurai who was in a good position to shoot. Which he did. He was still as quick as ever, but Moriyama, who didn't want to be outdone by his junior, let out a determined shout as he jumped to block the ball. Sakurai's quick shooting made it hard, but he was still able to get some of his fingers to touch the airborne ball.

That was enough to make sure the shot failed.

'Impossible!' Sakurai thought with wide eyes.

The ball hit the rim, and it went for a rebound. Both Wakamatsu and Kobori went for it, and it was Kobori who came out victorious in their battle after making sure to get in a better jumping position than Wakamatsu.

'Fuck!' Wakamatsu cursed, angry that Kobori had bested him again.

Not wasting any time, Kobori threw the ball to the center of the court where Naruto was waiting to catch it.

'However, don't think the rest of the team isn't prepared to win,' the coach finished in his head, smiling to himself.

"Get back!" Imayoshi yelled to the others as Naruto dribbled past the center line. Imayoshi realized that catching up to Naruto now was impossible. But that was only true for them.

Not Aomine, who was already standing in front of the Uzumaki, his face full of resolve.

It was another one-on-one battle between them.

Naruto knew this was different from the first quarter, though. In a sense, it could be called the awakening of the beast. That's how different Aomine was now compared to before.

This was shown to everyone else when Aomine suddenly tipped the ball from Naruto's hand before the blond was able to do anything about it.

"It's a steal!" Kagami cried out, shocked to see that Naruto had been that careless. Or was it that Aomine was that better now? He didn't know, but it proved to be irrelevant. Why?

Because Naruto wasn't facing Aomine alone. Not anymore.

The moment Aomine grasped the freed ball, it was suddenly slapped out of his hold. Not by Naruto, though. But by Kise, who had all of sudden mixed himself in with the play. Susa was trying to keep up, but it was clear that he was too slow to do anything about it. And in that instant when Kise moved in to intercept Aomine, Susa saw it.

He saw a second Aomine.

Imayoshi saw it too, and he had to grit his teeth in frustration. His worst fear had come to pass.

Kise was able to copy Aomine.

The ball flew back to Naruto's hand again, with the blond smiling. Imayoshi saw another truth here.

'He knew that was coming!?' Is that why he didn't react to Aomine stealing the ball from him!?

Naruto pressed on forward, but Aomine recovered and ran to stop him. He went in to try and steal the ball again, but Naruto saw this coming. He dribbled the ball back through his legs, going in for a low pass. This made sure Aomine wasn't able to get it. No, rather the ball went straight to Kise's hands, who was closely following the two.

Aomine looked back with wide eyes, but he wasn't going to be beaten here. The only one could beat him was him. No one else.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Kise!" Aomine quickly spun around to stop Kise who was getting into a shooting motion.

"He's even faster than the first quarter!" Izuki shouted out, completely taken back by Aomine's increase in skill.

Kise smiled. "It's already too late, Aominecchi."

Aomine didn't bother thinking about what those words meant. He simply jumped to stop the shot, but Kise abandoned his shooting motion and returned to his dribbling position.

It was a perfect fake! And those moves…...

'That agility…...there's no doubt about it…...' A wide-eyed Hyūga thought.

Scowling, Aomine took off running for Kise the moment he was back on the ground, proving his own agility and speed. But Kise already knew this. He believed Aomine could keep up with him.

It made little difference, though.

Aomine popped back up in front of Kise with his arm stretched out, ready to stop Kise's shot for a second time.

"Like I already said, Aominecchi, you're too late!" Kise shot the ball, except that it wasn't for the basket. Aomine watched as the ball flew to the side of the rim right where Naruto was. He had jumped perfectly to catch Kise's pass, and he dunked the ball for an alley-oop.

It went without saying that the cheering intensified after this play.

"T-That was…..." Imayoshi was at a loss for words right now.

'I-I can't believe it…...' Momoi stared at Kise with wide eyes. 'He was able to copy Aomine-kun….'

And so soon. Far sooner than she had predicted.

"Ha, you underestimated us, four-eyes." Imayoshi turned around to see Kasamatsu looking at him. "Did you really think it was going to take Kise the whole first half to catch up to Aomine? Don't make me laugh! He's not that weak."

Next to him, both Moriyama and Kobori smiled in agreement.

Imayoshi was unable to respond. He was still trying to come to terms with this development.

"Oi, if Kise can do that…..." Kagami trailed off, but the others around him understood what he was trying to say.

Naruto was one thing, but both of the blonds together? Aomine couldn't handle them both, not on his own.

"So it was just as Kuroko said," Kiyoshi spoke. "This is what Kise was aiming for all along. Even though it hurt his pride to step aside and let Naruto handle Aomine by himself, he was still able to push that aside in order to get to this moment."

Kuroko knew that the old Kise would have never agreed to a plan like this. It was his new conviction, to fight alongside his team rather than alone, which had allowed him to get this far.

'No, it's not just Kise-kun.' That conviction was shared by the other three. They had put their utmost trust in Naruto and Kise, while they did their best to support them. And now, it was paying off.

Kuroko was more than impressed. He was…..happy. Happy to see that Kise was truly relying on his teammates.

"What do you think, Aominecchi?" Kise said as he and Naruto stood next to one another. "Did I not tell you that we were going to fight together? It might have taken me a while to get here, but now that I am, I'm going to make sure you have the worst time possible."

Naruto raised his fist. "We're going to crush you."

Aomine just smirked, but it was clear that he was on edge.

"You little….."

From now on, it was going to be Kaijō at full force, and they were going to win!

* * *

 **The fight continues next chapter, and it's Naruto and Kise at full power. But will it be enough? Fufufu, that remains to be seen.**

 **Now, I just have to say something here. I was hoping I wasn't going to have to bring this up, but it seems a lot of people are just too impatient. Does Naruto still have chakra or not? Look, I already know that still needs to be explained. And whether or not Kurama is still inside him. The reason that still hasn't come up is because only Naruto knows about chakra and Kurama, and he's forgotten all those memories. Will this amnesia last forever? If I were a lazy bastard, I could easily just have Naruto never regain his memories, which means I wouldn't have to explain anything. This is fiction. As uncommon as that is in the real world, it can easily be done in fiction. Will I do that? Probably not since I've already outlined that discussion. But come on. We're barely at chapter five, and this is barely the second "battle" so to speak. Do you really expect me to bring all this up so early? Have patience. And even after I answer these questions, I know many people still won't be happy. But I've already come to terms with that.**

 **Pleasing everyone is just impossible. Which is why I'm only aiming to please myself and where I want to take this story.**

 **Anyone, that's all from me. The climax for Kaijō vs. Tōō is quickly approaching. The three aces finally go head-to-head! So be on the lookout for that.**

 **Till next time.**


	7. Their Bond

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6:  
** **Their Bond**

The cheering in the arena reached overbearing levels as the second quarter of the quarter-finals advanced to a new stage. And that stage was Kaijō finally achieving full strength to face Tōō directly.

In the court, the Tōō players were facing this firsthand as the pressure around them increased.

'T-This is crazy!' Sakurai, who held the bell at the moment, looked around in total disarray. He could barely handle thinking clearly right now. That's how serious the atmosphere was now. It was madness.

And it was in this confusion that Kasamatsu quickly came in with the steal, taking the ball from Sakurai's hands before he had a chance to pass it.

Imayoshi scowled and quickly followed with his defense, trying to stop Kasamatsu and the momentum he was trying to set. This produced no results as Kasamatsu wasn't trying to score. Rather, he passed the ball over his shoulder when Imayoshi got close enough. The ball flew to Kise's hands, who was already in position for the pass.

Aomine quickly charged for him, intent on stopping the blond this time. Kise didn't slow with his dribble, his movements full of confidence. Aomine was poised and ready for the stop. Kise quickly made to go around him through the left, but Aomine was there. This made Kise do a quick spin to the right, but Aomine followed him there too. Aomine was certain that Kise would follow with another fake, but instead Kise tossed the ball to the left right as Naruto sprinted past them, now with the ball in his possession.

'What-!' Imayoshi almost screamed in his mind when he saw this. He had only noticed Naruto after Kise had made the pass. There was no way Aomine was going to be able to stop this!

Aomine wasn't going to let a simple pass slow him down, though. He was right on Naruto's heels, not allowing himself to be dissuaded by the teamwork Naruto and Kise were showing him. That's why, when Naruto jumped for the dunk, Aomine was right in the air with him, ready to slam the ball back down. But once again, he misread the situation. Naruto wasn't going for the dunk. He lowered his arm at the last second and brought the ball down to his side where he could pass it to Kise who was right there with them.

Aomine watched with annoyance as the pass was made between the two blonds. He had been certain Naruto was going to score, so he wasn't able to react correctly like before. And with this distance, Kise was able to score the dunk over Aomine as Naruto grinned.

But this was only the beginning.

Right after, Aomine had the ball, and he was looking to return the favor to the two blonds for their showing. He quickly got past Kasamatsu and Moriyama, their defense doing nothing but slowing him down for a couple of seconds at best. Kise stepped forward, and Aomine increased his speed tenfold.

He was deadly serious.

He did a fake to the right and shot to the left, but Kise read him perfectly, just as Aomine had done earlier. The blond kept with him, and so Aomine stopped abruptly before darting to the right. Kise copied his moves again, and so he was able to stay on him even with such rapid movements. With his frustration high, Aomine made to shoot another one of his formless shots to end this play, having had enough. But Naruto soon arrived to disrupt the play once more. He was at Aomine's side just as the darker skinned boy was about to jump with his arm already flinging back. It was the perfect time for a shut down, and Naruto took it.

Aomine's eyes widened as the ball was knocked out of his hand before he could complete the shot. The ball went free for a split second before Kise grabbed it, having been prepared for this.

'Impossible!' This time, Imayoshi did scream in his head as he saw this. His body moved to intercept Kise along with Susa, but it did nothing to Kise's momentum. He simply threw the ball to the hoop where Naruto caught it for another alley-oop.

Intent on keeping their advantage, Naruto and Kise were on the offensive again, with Aomine looking desperate to stop them. It was Naruto who had the ball as Aomine kept in close proximity to him, looking for any opening he could use to try and go for a steal. But Naruto didn't give him any as he pressed on with his super fast and abrupt movements.

The blond launched into the air, looking to dunk the ball once again. Aomine followed, but there was obvious hesitation in his movements. It was clear why. He had no idea if Naruto was going to pass to Kise again, or if he was really going to score. There was no way for him to tell until the last moment, which would guarantee his defeat. In the end, that hesitation allowed Naruto to get by his indecisive defense and score a between the legs dunk, wooing the spectators further.

Aomine tried to even the odds afterwards as he and Naruto faced off again, but just like when he was defending, Aomine hesitated with his drive. He knew Kise was waiting for the right moment to strike, but the question was when. If he went in, he knew he was just looking to get ambushed. If he tried his formless shots, Naruto's jumps were high enough to stop them. If he faked, Naruto would read him.

'Dammit…...what do I do…..!?'

Momoi saw the hesitation on Aomine's face, which just made her all the more worried. Aomine never hesitated. Not once. But now…...

The others on the team were picking up on this as well, and it frightened them a little. If Aomine was hesitating here, then what could they do?

In his hesitation and overthinking, Aomine was not able to stop Naruto from tipping the ball out of his grasp. His hesitation had opened up a big possibility for a steal, and Naruto took it.

The Uzumaki gripped the ball tightly as he made the counter on Aomine again, something that was still shocking everyone in Tōō. Wakamatsu was able to get out of his shock long enough to try and stop the blond, but Naruto simply made the pass to Kise who ended the play with a double clutch move, completely unopposed. Not like anyone else could try and stop him.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing!" one of the spectators shouted through the loud screams and cheers. "Aomine the ace is completely outmatched!"

"No one can stop those two!"

"Kaijō has the upper hand here!"

The Seirin players could hear these comments around them, and they were all in agreement with this. It was still a little shocking to see, though…...well, more like a big shock. They had struggled greatly against Tōō, and in the end Tōō had been able to double their score in their match. But now, seeing them getting pushed back like this…...

"I just can't believe it," Kagami said, gripping his knees tightly. "Is Aomine really getting defeated like this?"

Kuroko was of a similar mind, but he didn't say anything. He was too busy staring down at the panting Aomine to make any comments.

"The second quarter is completely in Kaijō's favor," Riko whispered, her eyes glued to the match. She was just unable to look away, too entranced by Naruto and Kise's teamwork. They played off one another so well, it was almost like one person was standing in two spots.

It was surreal.

'Aomine-kun…..' Momoi clutched her clipboard tightly, her mind a mess. She didn't know what else to do. She couldn't predict Naruto, and Kise had already surpassed her expectations. She had never felt so helpless before.

She hated this feeling.

"Oi, oi, what are we going to do here?" Wakamatsu asked as he stood next to the sweating Imayoshi. "If we keep relying solely on Aomine like this, we're going to completely lose the first half!"

That much was true. The second quarter was almost finished, and in that time Aomine had been utterly crushed by Naruto and Kise. No matter what he did, it had a little effect against those two.

'What to do here?' He glanced over to Momoi for a moment. She looked just as worried as he felt. Her data on Naruto had been lacking as this was his first tournament, but it would have made no difference regardless. Not with this level of power. It was overwhelming.

Imayoshi turned his attention back to the court as Kaijō started to regroup.

"There's only one option left."

As the next play commenced, everyone in Kaijō and Seirin could see that things were much different than before. The most obvious: Aomine didn't have the ball. It was Imayoshi who was dribbling, and he was making no signs of passing the ball to Aomine anytime soon.

"What are they doing?" Yuki wondered, not understanding what Tōō could be thinking at a time like this. If they were going to get around Naruto and Kise's teamwork, then they obviously needed Aomine.

Aomine himself looked surprised, and a bit confused too. It was clear that he didn't understand this turn of events either.

Kasamatsu, who stood before the silent Imayoshi, scoffed. "What are you trying to do now? Are you underestimating us?"

"Underestimating you?" Imayoshi smiled a little, but it was obviously strained. "Quite the opposite in fact. We're showing you the respect you deserve. That's why we're doing this."

In one swift movement, Imayoshi passed the ball right to Sakurai, who was also quick to shoot the ball before Moriyama had a chance to stop him. The ball went in, which only made Imayoshi's smile grow a little.

"If we can't defeat your two star players, then we'll simply move around them."

So that was their strategy. Moriyama's, Kobori's, and Kasamatsu's face all darkened. They were being looked down on, huh?

Naruto frowned while Kise just shook his head. "That glasses-wearing captain can be a bit of an ass, right?"

The Uzumaki couldn't agree more. "That's why we need to spit those words back to his face."

That "solution" of his…...it was no solution at all.

Naruto and Kise both promised to show that as they charged forward with their next play. Aomine was ready to challenge them, of course, but this wasn't about them right now. No, there was a different goal for them at this moment.

Which is why Naruto handed the ball off to Kasamatsu who was once again facing Imayoshi.

"Oh, what's this?" The amusement was clear on Imayoshi's face. "Are you trying to take us on?"

Momoi's data might not work on Naruto and Kise, but it was a different story for the other three. There was no way they were going to lose here.

Kasamatsu showed no regard for this as he rushed around Imayoshi, but the glasses-wearing captain was already aware of Kasamatsu's speed, which is why he was more than ready to step back and block Kasamatsu's path. He also made sure to stick just close enough, so that Kasamatsu wasn't able to go for a three, which he could also do if the distance was there.

"You really underestimate us, don't you?" Kasamatsu muttered to himself. But Imayoshi was still able to hear him. Not that he had a chance to respond as Kasamatsu was already on the move again. He looked like he was going to pass to Moriyama, but Imayoshi already knew that Kasamatsu was really going for a turnaround shot.

'Ha, you can't fool me, not with Momoi's data on our side,' the amused Imayoshi thought. That amusement left his face as the ball was taken from Kasamatsu's hands the moment he raised them for his "fake" pass. And who was the thief?

It was Naruto of course. Like before, the blond had arrived on the scene with such speed that Imayoshi wasn't able to figure out that he was there until after the pass was made. Which is exactly what Kasamatsu was aiming for all along.

With Naruto able to get around Imayoshi, he looked to score. But Aomine was right there to put a stop to that plan. Only that was just another fake as Naruto threw the ball over his shoulders for a pass, just like before. Aomine was left puzzled by this, because Kise was still standing by Susa. He wasn't anywhere near close to the ball. So who was the pass for?

Aomine's question was answered a moment later as Kasamatsu appeared behind Naruto to grab the thrown ball. Imayoshi was a few steps behind as he had not foreseen this at all. He was certain Naruto would either go for the dunk or pass it to Kise. But to Kasamatsu?

'What is this!?' he shouted in his mind as he attempted to stop Kasamatsu from shooting a three. But it was just not meant to be as he was not quick enough. Kasamatsu fired his shot with precision, and the ball went in.

"You've made a big mistake here, four eyes." Naruto's glare went to Imayoshi who froze up for a second. "Kaijō has other players besides me and Kise, and you have to worry about them all. Otherwise, you're just signing your defeat."

Imayoshi tried to keep his compose as always, but it was clear he was losing his cool.

"What was that…..?"

More cheers came from the audience.

'Damn, shitheads!' Wakamatsu thought to himself as he pushed for the basket on his own during the next play, looking for a little payback of his own. The ball was easily swatted away by Kobori, though, who wasn't going to let that happen.

The free ball bounced back to where Sakurai was, so he scooped it up for himself. He jumped into his shooting position, but it lacked its usual solid form. It was more hasty, and the shot probably wouldn't have gone in. But it made no difference as Moriyama was still able to jump in time and stop the ball with a powerful slam, letting out a firm shout in the process.

"I'm not letting you score!" he stated.

Sakurai grimaced, knowing that was his mistake.

On the sidelines, Harasawa had to narrow his eyes at all of this. His players were losing their cool. If this kept up, they were just going to dig themselves further into a hole. He couldn't let that happen.

He was going to call for a time out, but when his eyes landed on the clock he knew it didn't matter anymore. The quarter was already down to its final seconds.

But even though Moriyama stopped Sakurai's shot, the ball wasn't out of bounds yet. And before it could go out of bounds, Aomine showed up just in time to stop that from happening. He snatched the ball with a murderous look before taking off for the basket.

He wasn't going to let the first half end like this. Not with defeat. That could never happen. No one could beat him.

'The only person who can beat me…...is me!'

Kasamatsu cursed when he saw this. 'Persistent bastard!'

The three of them weren't going to be able to react in time. That said, Kaijō still had their two aces, who also appeared just in time to stop Aomine like always.

"DON'T MOCK ME!" Aomine shouted as he jumped into the air. It was higher than normal and much faster too. The strength behind this shot was obviously going to be on another level. He was putting it all here, to crush Naruto and Kise and make them lose their spirit.

"THAT ISN'T ENOUGH ANYMORE, AOMINECCHI!"

Only Kise jumped to meet him in the air, but that was all that was needed here. He was able to jump just high enough to smack the ball back to the floor right after Aomine shot it, fully shutting him down.

Aomine gaped, the disbelief clear in his face. And anger too.

For everyone else, it was amazement. Everyone had practically assumed that only Naruto could block Aomine's formless shots with his powerful jumps, but Kise had just proven that he could do the same too.

Kuroko's eyes went wide at the sight. 'Kise-kun…...'

He was still growing, even after everything he had shown. He was _still_ growing.

It was a scary thought.

The buzzer went off as the last second of the first half concluded, thus ending the second quarter of the match. The difference between the scores at the end of this quarter and the first were plain to see. You could call it a one-sided assault as Kaijō took the lead, with a clear advantage of 53 points to Tōō's 31 points.

Kaijō had more than a twenty point lead.

* * *

"Man, I feel sore," Naruto grumbled as he and the others began to step out of the court and head to their locker room for halftime.

"Stop complaining," Yuki said next to him. She poked him on the side. "We both know you're not sore. You're just trying to be a drama queen."

"That's harsh, Yuki. Really harsh."

Moriyama clicked his teeth together in annoyance. "Unlike you, I'm actually tired. So stop flirting with Sugawara-chan in front of me, asshole. It's ten times more annoying than usual."

"Do you want me to slap you? Because I will slap you."

"Respect!"

"Earn it first!"

"You mother-!"

"Just walk, you morons." Kasamatsu was more than ready to drag them by their ears at this point. Like, seriously. Couldn't they just have a small moment to enjoy their current victory over Tōō? Was that too much to ask?

Kise merely chuckled as they stepped through the double doors and out of the court. They weren't aware, but the entirety of Tōō was watching them go, their eyes wary. All but Aomine who was already walking away from his team, bag in hand.

Momoi noticed him first and exclaimed, "Aomine-kun! Where are you going!? You can't wander off now! We have to-!"

"Huh?" Aomine cut her off with something akin to a sneer. The girl couldn't see his face, but she was sure it would be dismissive as always. "Don't worry about me. I'll be in time for the second half."

With those parting words, he walked off, his head low.

Wakamatsu shook his fist in anger. "Aomine, you bastard! What the fuck is with his attitude!?"

Imayoshi sighed and looked away. "Just let him go. I'm sure he wants to clear his head. This turn of events must be shocking to him."

Naruto was just as good as him, if not better. And Kise was already at that level too. Two prime opponents, appearing out of the blue for him. Imayoshi knew that Aomine had to digest this in his own way.

As they headed off to their locker room, Wakamatsu still had much to complain about.

"He still shouldn't be allowed to leave like that! He can't handle Uzumaki and Kise alone! If he keeps playing like he does, we'll lose!"

Imayoshi placed a hand over his glasses. "Ah, that's right. You've never seen it before, have you? Aomine's true level."

Wakamatsu looked confused at that. "What are you talking about?"

Sakurai was curious as well, while Susa kept to himself. He already knew what Imayoshi was talking about, after all.

Momoi simply shut her eyes.

"It's true that Aomine got shutdown just now," Imayoshi explained. And it had taken him completely by surprise. He had never considered Aomine being pushed back like this. It was a shock, a big shock. That said…...

Imayoshi started to smile. "However, he still hasn't shown all his cards. He's got a whole other level like you've never seen before. It's why Aomine is the strongest."

That was certainly ominous, so much so that Wakamatsu forgot how to breathe for a second.

Opening her eyes, Momoi glanced back the hallway they were in. Her face was filled with a small, defeated smile. "Besides, I think you're getting the wrong idea about what Aomine-kun is feeling right now."

Wakamatsu didn't know what she meant by that, but Imayoshi did. It was the plight of the strong, but in Aomine's case, that plight might just be coming to an end.

Imayoshi stared ahead. "Aomine is too nice. That's his only weakness."

* * *

Back in the audience seats, another conversation was taking place among the members of the Seirin team.

"So that's the new Kaijō," Kiyoshi said, nodding to himself. "I'm impressed."

Hyūga twitched. "Don't say that so happily, moron. Do you not understand what's happening right now?"

"Huh?" Kiyoshi looked at him with a tilt to his head. "What do you mean? They're strong, right? What else is there to it?"

The others could only facepalm. Was Kiyoshi being oblivious on purpose, or was he that stupid?

Riko cut in, "They've managed to double their score against Tōō, when we were never able to get ahead when we faced them. And that includes when Aomine wasn't on the court." She looked down to the now empty court. "Frankly speaking, the gap in our abilities right now is too huge."

From his seat, Kagami growled at this. He was just oozing anger right now, so much so that some of the other first-years had to back away from him.

"Ah." Kiyoshi crossed his arms. "So that's why you're acting so gloomy. Because you think we have no chance against them."

"I think the results speak for themselves," a depressed Koganei managed to say. "Kaijō was tough enough when it was only Kise that we had to worry about. But now they have Uzumaki-san too? How are we supposed to defeat them?"

"The most troubling aspect of all of this is that they're not fighting alone, like Aomine," Hyūga said. "We caught a glimpse of it during their first match in the preliminaries, but those two are like the perfect duo. They're able to read each other's moves perfectly. It's almost like they're acting without thinking of the other, but still managing to work as one."

Kise's copying abilities had a lot to do with that success, in Hyūga's mind. Regardless of the reason, they were still a very dangerous combination. So much so that not even Aomine was able to do anything against them. And to make matters worse, the others in Kaijō were no slouches. Even if it was only a little bit of support, they were still keeping the other Tōō players at bay, which Seirin had failed to do as well.

Simply put…...it was a terrible hit to their morale, to see Tōō being pushed back like this when they were barely able to do anything against them.

Kiyoshi started to laugh. "Hahahaha, you guys are all such worry-warts! We'll be fine! We've gotten stronger, so if we do our best, I'm sure it'll work out."

"Stop laughing like that, you goddamn moron!" Hyūga shouted with his fist raised. "If it was that easy, none us would be feeling so depressed!"

"H-Hyūga, I think you've made your point." Izuki tried to be the middleman, but he went ignored as Hyūga started to glare at the laughing Kiyoshi.

Riko had to shake her head at this. She was surrounded by idiots. But at least these idiots were able to work out through their problems. She already noticed how Kiyoshi's remark made the others feel invigorated, even if only a little. That was just the way Kiyoshi worked. It was one of his strengths.

'Well, not everyone….' Riko deadpanned when she glanced at Kagami who was still looking livid. The girl had a pretty good idea what was going through his head right now. He was a simple idiot like that.

"Kuroko-kun, tell Kagami-kun to stop-"

Riko stopped mid-sentence when she noticed that Kuroko was no longer in his seat.

She shrieked, "What happened to Kuroko-kun!?" That guy was a ghost, seriously! She never noticed him move!

"Ah." Looking a bit sheepish, Furihata answered her. "Kuroko went out to give Number Two some air since it's halftime."

Riko sighed and leaned back in her seat. The dog had been kept inside Kuroko's bag this whole time, so it only made sense. As long as he wasn't doing anything stupid, then it was fine.

Kagami heard the small back-and-forth before glancing to the nearest door that led outside.

'Hm.'

* * *

"My son is incredible, isn't he~ Oh, I should go and congratulate him! But I don't want him to know I'm here until after I have all my pictures! I just know he'd try and stop me from taking anymore. But…..I want to congratulate him too. Oh, what a dilemma this is!"

"Yes, clearly," Hiroji muttered to himself. He had long since given up trying to control his boss. The way other people kept staring at them still made him blush, though. It wasn't his fault his boss loved her son too much!

Eiji on the other hand made no comment. He was too engrossed imagining his poor and innocent daughter surrounded by a bunch of sweaty, teenage boys in a locker room.

He twitched. 'Must…..not…..kill….brats…..'

Yes, the three of them were doing just fine.

* * *

"Are you sure you should be drinking so much water, Naruto-kun?" Completely unaware of her father's murderous thoughts, Yuki gave her friend a curious glance as he drank his second bottle.

"I'm too thirsty right now. Can't help it." Naruto set the bottle down. The others were all gathered around in the locker room, doing their own thing. No one was really saying anything to one another.

It was honestly far quieter than Yuki was expecting it to be. Which she expressed as she said, "Is everything okay? We are winning, you know. Shouldn't everyone be more happy?"

Moriyama smiled, his towel in hand. "It's not that we're not happy, Sugawara-chan. It's more like…..."

"We're mentally preparing ourselves," Kobori finished as he ate several of the lemon slices Yuki had prepared for them. "For the coming storm, if you will."

Naruto smirked. "It looks like I wasn't the only one who noticed."

Moriyama shot him a half-hearted glare. "You're not the only one who's paying attention, ya know."

"Says the guy who's always looking for a girl 'to fight for.' They don't even know what you're doing!"

"Leave me alone! I will be the knight for every pretty girl on this planet! Nothing can stop me!"

"No one _wants_ to stop you! That's how stupid it is!"

Yuki knew it was better to ignore the two and instead turned to Kise for an explanation. "What are they talking about, Kise-san?"

Kise, who was sitting in one of the corners, looked up. "Ah. They mean that we still haven't faced the worst of this match."

What? How was that possible? And why was Kise looking so solemn all of a sudden?

"They definitely have something up their sleeve," Kobori agreed. "The fire hasn't left their eyes. They still think they can win."

"So that's how it is." The coach stepped forward, grabbing their attention. "I knew something was wrong. Their demeanor was not that of a defeated team. I'm glad you were able to pick it up as well. That said, we have no idea what they're planning on doing next."

They were flying blind basically.

Nakamura raised his hand. "Does it matter? Their ace can't stop Uzumaki and Kise. As long as that's the case, we have nothing to worry about, right?"

Kasamatsu scoffed. "Don't be naive. If we let our guard down, we could easily lose this match. We need to be ready for anything."

If they won like this…...well, like Kise said, it would be too easy.

Said blond suddenly stood up and made for the door.

Kasamatsu's eyes narrowed. "Where are you going?"

"You don't have to worry, senpai. I just need some fresh air. I'll be back by the start of the second half."

Kasamatsu didn't respond as Kise walked out.

Yuki looked conflicted. "Is there something wrong with Kise-san?"

Sighing, Kasamatsu shook his head. "That guy can be hard to read sometimes. Coach-"

"Eh, stop worrying so much." Naruto got up as well, his hands in his pockets. "I'll make sure the idiot is okay." He stepped out without another word.

Yuki wanted to follow but decided against it. She had a feeling this was something personal. Her presence would probably only complicate things.

The coach kept his eyes on the door for a moment longer before addressing the others. "Well, as things stand, we keep our strategy as it is. Uzumaki and Kise will be the key to our offense. We'll make sure to triple our score in the second half and kill their spirits."

Kasamatsu hoped it was that easy.

* * *

"Kise-kun?"

The model had to blink in bewilderment when he found Kuroko standing in the second-floor walkway outside the building. What were the odds of meeting like this?

"Kurokocchi!? What are you doing here!?" He then noticed the small dog on top of Kuroko's head. "And why do you have a dog with you!?"

Said dog stared curiously at him while Kuroko answered, "He's Number Two, my new pet."

Kise could say many things about that, but he decided to keep them to himself. Besides, there was a more prudent question that needed to be asked.

"What are you doing here?"

"We were training nearby, so we decided to come see the game before we headed back home."

So that's how it was.

Chuckling, Kise walked around the shorter teen and stopped by the railing of the walkway. "Heh. Training, huh? Sounds like fun."

"It was. Midorima-kun was there too." Although it was only a coincidence that they had met up with him and the rest of Shūtoku. It had been beneficial, though, and sort of fun too.

"That so? I can't imagine Midorimacchi being happy about that."

Kuroko's lips thinned as the conversation died down. There was nothing but a gust of wind that blew their way. Kuroko expected Kise to say something, anything, but he did not. The blond kept quiet, almost like he was deep in thought.

"You have changed, Kise-kun."

The comment threw Kise for a loop. "H-Huh? What's that about all of a sudden?"

"It's just an observation."

Scratching his head, Kise sighed. "You always used to do that back then. I guess I forgot about that quirk of yours."

"It has been a while since we were all together," Kuroko agreed. "But I don't think the past matters to you as much now, right?"

Kise looked amused. "And why do you say that?"

"In your match, I was able to see. You're not working alone. You're fighting for your team, fighting with Uzumaki-kun. It's how we used to be, before we changed."

"You really don't mince your words, huh?" Kise placed a hand over his heart. "I guess you really are good with that sort of stuff, Kurokocchi. But you're right. Playing with Uzumakicchi reminds me of our time in Teikō. When we were all friends. And I'm still trying to come to terms with that."

"So that's what's got you all worked up?"

Kise and Kuroko looked back to see Naruto walking over to them, his hands still in his pockets. A disgruntled look was on his face.

"I should really slap you."

Kise chuckled. "Eavesdropping isn't nice."

"It's worse to get everyone else on the team worried about you," Naruto shot back.

"W-Worried?" Kise shook his head. "Why are they worried?"

Naruto deadpanned. "You walked out looking like you were the one losing. It's kinda hard to miss that."

Kise had no idea he was making that sort of expression. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "It's not like that at all. I'm just….." He sighed. "I'm just confused."

"About what?"

"Beating Aomine has been one of my goals since I started playing basketball. It's why I was always challenging him, to see how I measured up to him. I never got close to victory. But now that I'm close to finally beating him, I realize it's not what I want most. Not anymore."

Naruto stared at him. "Then what do you want?"

"I…..want to win with you guys," Kise said and smiled. "I want to win with my team. I want to win with you. That's the most important thing to me. That's what I've realized, standing next to you."

While Kise looked all proud and happy with his revelation, Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Kise…...shouldn't that have been obvious to you from the start?"

"H-Huh?" Kise blinked before sulking. "Y-You're always so mean to me, Uzumakicchi! I just said something deep. You should be impressed!"

"Your stupidity isn't anything to be impressed about."

"C-Come on!"

Smirking, Naruto raised his fist to him. "But…..it was a nice little speech. Just so you know, you're not the only one who wants to win together."

They had their promise, after all.

Kise remembered. He began to smirk as well and met Naruto's fist with his own.

"Yeah!"

The two were able to bask in the moment, as it were, until a bark reminded them that they weren't alone here. They slowly turned their heads to Kuroko who was just staring at them with a blank look.

Being forgotten like this…...it kinda hurt.

"Oh, right! Kurokocchi, you're still here!"

Pour more salt on the wound, why don't you?

Naruto had to raise an eyebrow when he noticed the happy looking dog on Kuroko's head but decided to ignore it. It just wasn't worth commenting on.

"Kuroko, huh?" Naruto took a step toward the so-called phantom player. Naruto was just a couple inches taller, but it wasn't much. It was nice to be taller for once, though. "First time we're meeting properly, isn't it?"

Kuroko nodded. "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Uzumaki-kun."

"Likewise. I was looking forward to playing against you guys, but I guess that's going to have to wait a bit longer, huh?"

Kuroko nodded again. If they played one another, it would have to be in the winter.

"So why are you here?" Naruto asked him. "Cheering for us?"

Next to him, Kise had to flounder. "That's what I said, but he's only looking to spectate without taking any sides. Isn't that just terrible?"

Terrible indeed.

Naruto tilted his head. "That, or maybe you think we can't win against Aomine."

"That's not it at all," Kuroko quickly said. "Aomine-kun is strong, but you're strong as well. A match is never over until the last moment, so anything can happen."

"Heh?" Naruto was amused by the answer. "That's a nice thought, but we both know you want to be the one to defeat Aomine. It's written all over your eyes."

"What-"

"You don't have to admit it." Pocketing his hands again, Naruto strolled around the invisible boy. "But it's a shame. We're the ones who are going to defeat him first. You can be number two if you want."

Kuroko was left too dumbfounded to respond. That was the first time since his days in Teikō that someone was able to read him like that.

Kise grinned. He was able to pick up on what Naruto was saying. And it delighted him. "That's Uzumakicchi for you. He'll always say something that will surprise you."

Once again, Kuroko didn't know what to think about that.

"I should get going too." Kise waved at him, still grinning. "Hope you enjoy the rest of the match, Kurokocchi."

Number Two barked in excitement as Kuroko watched the model walk off, still not sure what to think about Naruto's comment. Uncertainty aside, he was still more than excited to see how the match played out.

* * *

The loud screaming and cheering started to increase again when both teams stepped back onto the court. Right away, Naruto and Kise were able to see that there was something different with Aomine. He wasn't grinning, frowning, nothing. He was just…...calm. Like one of those monks that found his perfect balance in life. The same couldn't be said about his aura, though. It spoke more than words ever could.

He was ready to play.

"Good luck, Naruto-kun, Kise-san." Yuki happily waved to them, sending them off with a smile.

Moriyama broke down in tears. "Why can't I be on the receiving end of a smile like that!?"

Kasamatsu looked ready to kick him. "Shut up already and get your ass on defense!"

"R-Right!" Moriyama whimpered but followed the order while the others shook their heads in dismay.

Yuki sweatdropped. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything.

Their banter had to come to an end, though, as the Tōō players also moved to their positions. They didn't look defeated but rather determined. It was just like before. They weren't here to lose.

'Heh, works for me.' That's exactly what Naruto was looking for from his opponents.

A brief exchange took place on Tōō's side as well.

"Aomine-kun, where were you? You missed our discussion. We need you to-"

"I'm fine, Satsuki." Aomine threw his jacket on the bench, his eyes fixed on Naruto and Kise. "I already know what I have to do. I don't need your plans."

Momoi frowned but said nothing else. She was still worried, but her words would fall on deaf ears.

The referee blew his whistle and signaled for the players to get ready. It was Tōō who was throwing the ball in for the third quarter.

The second half was about to commence.

* * *

There was a shift in the air. Everyone on the court could feel it. Even those far away, like Kagami and Midorima, were privy to it.

It made Kasamatsu feel anxious, not knowing what to expect.

'No, I can't be thinking like that. I have to focus.'

He glanced to Naruto and Kise for a moment, and the two didn't look fazed at all. Or maybe they were, they just didn't show it.

Imayoshi was handed the ball after the buzzer went off, officially starting the quarter. This made everyone go on the move, readying themselves for what was to come.

Imayoshi began to dribble down the court but didn't get very far as Kasamatsu came in and blocked his path. He smiled when he saw the look on Kasamatsu's face.

"The second half just started, but you're already so serious."

"When facing someone like you, that's only natural."

Imayoshi took it as a compliment. 'But what to do here?' Before, he had made the call to stop focusing their plays on Aomine. Because he didn't think that their ace could be heartless enough to do what was needed. After seeing his face, though, Imayoshi knew he had nothing to worry about. He wasn't going to play so nicely anymore.

The pass was made, and Aomine was in possession of the ball again. It was Kise who stood before him now, not Naruto. It was still the same to Aomine, however. It didn't matter who he faced.

He smiled. It was different from his earlier smiles. Before, his smiles only carried arrogance or bitterness. This one was of actual contentment, like he was enjoying himself.

Kise picked up on this right away. "Aominecchi…..."

"I have to give you my thanks for today, Kise," he said rather softly. "I wasn't expecting this level of skill from you. That was my mistake. I haven't been pushed this much in a long time. That's why I have to thank you, and Uzumaki as well."

Kise didn't know what to say to this, but something in his gut was telling him that something big was coming.

"However…." Aomine suddenly lunged forward. Kise saw the initial movement and tried to cut him off, but that was when _it_ unexpectedly happened. Kise lost sight of Aomine. It wasn't like with Kuroko where he vanished, though. He just simply…...moved. He moved far too quickly for Kise to react.

Everyone else in Kaijō when wide-eyed at the display, including Naruto.

'Kise couldn't react…..!?'

There wasn't any time to dwell on this. Rather, Naruto and Kobori sprung into action and intercepted the fast Aomine as he neared the basket. The two jumped up to stop Aomine's shot when they saw that he was going for it. In retaliation, Aomine spun around them with ease, displaying another level of agility that he hadn't before.

Both Naruto and Kobori had to watch as Aomine gracefully completed the play with a simple bank shot, but it was still more than enough to leave them shocked.

Kagami had to stand up from his seat after that, his fists shaking and his eyes wide.

"W-What the hell just happened now!? He got around all three of them like they were nothing….!"

No one could answer him, not able to find their voices.

Midorima had a fairly good idea of what this was, though.

'It can't be…...he's actually in Zone…..!?'

The Zone...the state in which a player could reach their one hundred percent. It happened unpredictability, open only to the chosen.

Deep blue electric sparks shot out from Aomine's eyes as he turned to stare at both Naruto and Kise who were frozen where they stood.

"The only one who can beat me…..is me."

Naruto and Kise gritted their teeth, sweat dripping down their cheeks.

Imayoshi began to chuckle. "It's true that Tōō emphasizes individual skills, but you know something? We also have something we believe in. And that's Aomine's power."

Kasamatsu could only glare at the other captain, but deep down he knew that this was a terrible development for them all. Aomine was finally showing all his cards, and it went beyond anything anyone had expected.

His foreboding had come to pass, after all.

* * *

The shock couldn't last forever, and the game resumed. Tōō made no attempts to mess around anymore, and all their passes were thrown to Aomine. Naruto and Kise also abandoned their concern for the other players and focused their attention solely on Aomine.

"Heh, that's how it should be!" Aomine exclaimed as he dribbled around the two. Neither Naruto nor Kise were able to stop him as he scored again.

On the sidelines, the coach folded his arms in front of him, his face troubled.

'They got us…...'

Yuki was also staring at this turn of events in dread. 'This is…...'

"Don't let them get inside your head!" Kasamatsu attempted to take control of the situation and rally his team, but that fell short when Aomine suddenly swooped in from nowhere with a steal, knocking the ball out of his hands before he had a chance to react.

'Shit!' He could only curse as Aomine sprinted away with the ball. It was Naruto and Kise who arrived on the scene again to try and stop him. Aomine wasn't fazed by this attempt at all. He quickly moved against them, dribbling right through them like they were practice dummies.

The two watched with growing vexation as Aomine dunked with no problem even with their defense.

"I can't believe this," Riko muttered. "Even with the two of them, they're completely powerless."

"So this is Aomine's true strength," Hyūga added, entranced by Aomine's moves. It was hard to admit, but it was amazing to watch him play, especially now.

Kuroko simply watched on. He had many thoughts about this, but dread was the biggest of all.

Down below, the determination from everyone in Kaijō didn't waver, though.

"This changes nothing!" Kasamatsu declared. "We're not going to lose here!"

Imayoshi laughed. "Hahaha, is that right? Well, we never expected you to give up. Not after how you've been playing."

Aomine was more than delighted by this. "That's how it should be!" He jumped for another formless shot from the side as Naruto was on him. The blond stretched his arm to try and stop the ball from going in but wasn't fast enough to get it in a stopping position.

'Fuck!'

Right after, Kise charged against Tōō, looking for some revenge. If they couldn't stop Aomine, then they would simply score right back.

He dribbled around Wakamatsu and Susa, using his speed and agility to outwit them. He jumped to shoot, but the ball was slapped back down as soon as it left his hands, courtesy of a smirking Aomine.

'No…...!'

"Nice one!" Wakamatsu made to grab the now free ball, but Aomine scoffed at this.

"Who the hell said that was for you!?" He blitzed for it and took the ball before Wakamatsu could successfully catch it. He sped back to the other end of the court, leaving an enraged Wakamatsu behind.

Scowling, Naruto ran after Aomine but discovered that he was too slow. He couldn't close the distance between them. It was beyond frustrating for him.

Thankfully, Moriyama was able to get in position to try and stop Aomine. He couldn't, but in the second or so it took Aomine to do a quick crossover to get around Moriyama's defense, Naruto pumped all his energy into his legs to catch up to Aomine. He took a defensive position behind Moriyama, so he was ready for Aomine when he got there.

Aomine was thrilled by Naruto's showing. "Still trying to prove we're equals, huh?"

Naruto didn't answer, but the anger was clear in his face.

On the other hand, Aomine's face was fixed with precision, the electricity around his eyes sparking stronger than before. He shot forward. It seemed like he was going for a direct drive, but he proved that wrong when he pulled out a rapid succession of spins, handling the ball with perfect care. Naruto's eyes did their best to follow Aomine's movements, as did his body. But it was no use. The more he tried to follow, the more he fell behind. With one last spin from Aomine, Naruto went stumbling back, losing his balance after trying to keep up.

Aomine sped past him, not bothering to look back. In the time Naruto had tried to stop him, Kasamatsu and Kobori had placed themselves below the basket. They were ready to guard it with everything they had.

Aomine didn't bat an eye to this and pressed forward. He jumped right for the hoop, and Kasamatsu and Kobori jumped as well. At that second, it looked like Aomine was going for a dunk and that the two defenders were going to be able to stop him. But like before, Aomine shattered those expectations when he went sideways, evading the two completely.

'Dammit!' Both Kobori and Kasamatsu were unable to do anything about it, but thankfully they didn't have to as Kise arrived at the last second to lend a hand. He appeared over Aomine, ready to strike the ball down.

"Not good enough!" Aomine ducked down and away from Kise's defense, causing Kise's blood to turn cold.

Not even this could stop him!?

Aomine went in with another formless shot and scored. And to make matters worse, he had managed to outwit the entire Kaijō team all by himself.

Imayoshi smirked as Aomine raised his fist into the air, the spectators cheering for him.

"It's the simple truth really. Aomine is the strongest."

* * *

"Goddammit!" Naruto cursed as he sat on the bench with the others. The coach had just called a time out. Sitting like this, they were able to realize how much trouble they were in.

Yuki stood in front of the angered blond, her face filled with worry. "Naruto-kun….."

"I can't believe this," Moriyama said, his voice exasperated. "Just how strong is that guy!?"

Looking grim, Kobori nodded. "Yeah. This is beyond anything I've ever seen before. It's like he's moving on another plane of reality or something."

That was a rather apt description.

Kise kept quiet, but he looked just as angry as Naruto.

Kasamatsu eyed the clock. About half of the third quarter was over with, and Tōō had just about caught up with them. The score was 62 to 57. Certainly not the big lead they had before the second half.

"At least you've managed to score," Yuki said, trying to sound hopeful.

The coach shook his head. "It's still not enough. At this rate, we're going to fall behind. And fast."

"But he can't keep this up for the rest of the quarter, right?" Moriyama said. He didn't understand much about the Zone, but it had be taxing. "If we just wait it out, then-"

"You seriously think that's going to cut it?" Naruto interrupted him, his eyes narrowed. "We can't hope for something like that. That's the same as giving up. We need another answer."

The Uzumaki looked down at this shaking fists. What the hell was this Zone anyway? And how could one enter it?

'No…...how can _I_ enter it?'

That was the solution they needed. The only solution they had. The way to win. The way to defeat Aomine.

Kise raised his head. "I think our answer is simple. Don't you agree, Uzumakicchi?"

Naruto met Kise's eyes with his own. So he was thinking the same thing then?

"Yeah." Naruto stared ahead, a new wave of determination hitting him. "It is."

Kise shared the same look as him.

Kasamatsu smirked when he saw this. When a player had that look in their eyes, then there was no reason to doubt them.

The coach was thinking the same thing. He had been worried, that perhaps Naruto and Kise were going to give up. But now he knew he didn't have to be.

"What are you planning on doing?" Yuki asked, looking between the two blonds. She didn't know what was going through their heads, and she was curious to find out.

"It's simple." Naruto stood up. "We're going to win."

* * *

"The match isn't over."

Everyone from Seirin looked at Kuroko who was staring at Naruto and Kise. He elaborated, "Uzumaki-kun and Kise-kun haven't given up. That's why this match isn't over yet."

"You say that, but this isn't something that spirit alone can solve," Hyūga shot back. "Not against that level of power."

Kiyoshi didn't like it, but he was of the same mind. "Can they really stop Aomine?"

"I don't know," Kuroko admitted. "I've never seen Aomine-kun like this before. The Zone has put him on a different playing field. But as long as they don't give up, anything can happen."

Kagami looked back down to the court. "You would say that."

Kuroko stood by his words. But just like the others, he had no idea how Naruto and Kise were planning on getting out of this.

* * *

"You still look like you're going to win this. Haven't you faced reality yet? You need another ten years before you can defeat us."

Kasamatsu gave the smiling Imayoshi a dull stare. "You're rather mean-spirited. Has anyone told you that before?"

"Hahaha, not to my face, no."

Then maybe they should.

"We're not going to give up," Kasamatsu stated, deciding to humor his fellow captain. "Not when we have our trusty aces on our team."

"Hmm, is that so?" Imayoshi's face was thoughtful before he turned away from Kasamatsu. "Make sure to not let us double your score. That would just be boring, wouldn't it?"

If Kasamatsu was any less of a man, he might have let that get under his skin. But instead, he shrugged it off.

At the end of the day, actions mattered more than words.

A little off to the side, Naruto and Kise were standing before the overbearing Aomine, who greeted them with a wide grin.

"Did you come up with something to stop me? Or are you planning on admitting defeat?"

"Defeat? What is that? Is it tasty?"

"That's a silly joke, Uzumakicchi."

"Shut up. I'm working on something here. Don't ruin it for me."

"I think it's already ruined."

"I really hate you sometimes."

"W-Wahhh!? I thought we were best friends!"

Aomine began to laugh as Naruto pushed back a crying Kise from getting any closer. He had his answer.

"You two are comical, if nothing else. But." Another stream of electricity erupted from Aomine's eyes as his grin widened further. "You're still going to lose."

Naruto and Kise said nothing else.

* * *

The audience erupted into more applause as the ball was thrown back in, with Kaijō in possession. There was a quick pass from Kasamatsu to Moriyama as they moved down the court.

"Oh?" Imayoshi saw this and tilted his head. "I thought you said you were serious?"

No one bothered to respond. The air was tense around them. It made Imayoshi understand what they were up to.

'I see. They don't want to lose control of the game like before.'

If Aomine continued with his scoring spree, it would be next to impossible for Kaijō to recover from that. The third quarter would be lost to them. That would be the worst outcome for Kaijō.

'They're trying to avoid that as much as possible,' Midorima thought from where he stood. 'However…...'

'As long as they can't stop Aomine, this is pointless,' Imayoshi finished, finding Kaijō's cautious approach hysterical.

Moriyama took a moment to survey the conditions around him. Tōō wasn't leaving anything to chance, so they were sticking close to their marks. Even if they were looking down on them, they were also making sure not to underestimate them.

How annoying.

Suddenly, Sakurai lunged forward for the ball, looking to take it when he noticed that Moriyama was momentarily distracted.

Mentally cursing, Moriyama tried to pull back. That proved to be a mistake as Aomine exploited this moment to come in for another steal, quite literally grabbing the ball from Moriyama's hand.

'Dammit! His speed is just too much for me!' Moriyama thought as Aomine dribbled away.

The path to the basket was clear for Aomine, until Naruto and Kise managed to make their way under it at the last possible second. By that point, Aomine was already in the process of jumping to score. And so, Naruto and Kise both jumped too. If one of them couldn't knock the ball from Aomine's hand, then it would have be together.

Aomine knew that's what they were going for, so he decided to humor them. He didn't try to pull off any of his impressive moves and went right in for the dunk. All three boys let out screams filled with resolve as they clashed midair. Both Naruto and Kise managed to place their hands on the ball, and for a moment it looked as though they were going to push Aomine away.

The exact opposite occurred.

Naruto and Kise were thrown to the side as Aomine dunked right through them. They went tumbling to the floor while Aomine looked loomed over them, holding on to the rim.

Yuki let out a gasp and stood up without realizing it. "Naruto-kun…...!"

Kasamatsu, Kobori, and Moriyama all clenched their teeth in barely held frustration.

Letting go of the rim, Aomine landed in front of the downed duo, his face full of disappointment.

"If this is your answer to defeating me, I'll say it right now. It's useless. Your light will never reach me."

Naruto growled. "You….."

He wanted to lash out, but Kise placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Don't, Uzumakicchi. Saying anything to him…...it won't change a thing."

Naruto knew this, but still. He still wanted to say so much. To say anything to prove the bastard wrong. But Kise was right. It would change nothing.

Aomine kept his eyes on them for a second longer before turning away. He had made his point loud and clear.

Naruto started to get up, as did Kise, while Kasamatsu and the others approached him.

"Are you guys okay?" Kobori asked in worry.

"Yeah," Naruto muttered. His whole body was stiff, his rage just barely held in.

Kise was in a similar state. He wasn't bothering to try and keep his composure.

'This is the first time I'm seeing them like this,' Kasamatsu thought, more sweat dripping down his brow. It was hard just standing near them.

Moriyama and Kobori were sensing the same thing, as did Kagami and Midorima.

'The air is different around them,' Midorima observed while pushing his glasses back up his nose. 'These two…...'

'They're like monsters,' Kagami concluded, unable to stop himself from gulping. In that moment, he feared Naruto and Kise more than Aomine. Not that he would ever admit that.

As Kasamatsu grabbed the ball for the throw in, Naruto motioned for him to pass it. That was a request that Kasamatsu wasn't going to deny.

"Still going to rely on them, huh?" Imayoshi said as Naruto and Kise charged forward with the rest not far behind.

'But it's useless,' Momoi thought from where she was sitting. 'Not when Aomine-kun is in the Zone…...'

Both Naruto and Kise knew this, but that didn't deter them in the slightest. No, they had something very important to protect right now. Something Aomine had insulted.

"You've really pissed me off," Naruto said softly as Aomine was instantly upon him, ready to stop him in his tracks.

Aomine merely frowned, not replying. The anger was clear in Naruto's voice. There was no denying that.

"I'll just let you know one thing before we thoroughly crush you," Naruto declared. No doubt was present. He clearly meant what he was saying. "Our bond, our promise…...isn't so easily defeated."

Aomine wasn't disconcerted. "H'mph."

More electricity sparked around Aomine's eyes, his focus solely on Naruto who was completely still for a whole second. In that second, Aomine was able to see the unbelievable truth.

The others all saw it a second later.

Naruto broke past Aomine's defense at a speed that surpassed everything else he had shown before.

'Impossible!' Imayoshi cried out inside his head, disbelief written all over him. 'He just-!'

It was Momoi's turn to gasp, not believing what she was seeing.

Growling, Aomine went after Naruto right away. "Don't mock me!" He was able to catch up thanks to Wakamatsu who was able to slow Naruto down for a second or so. It wasn't much, but with Aomine's speed, it was all he needed.

He was in front of Naruto again, more than ready to stop him this time.

"You don't understand, do you?" Naruto said plainly. "What did I tell you?"

Aomine was confused, but when Kise suddenly took the ball from Naruto's hands he knew. It was just like in the second quarter. They were working together.

"I told you that won't help you anymore!" Aomine shouted as he was on Kise right away. But just like with Naruto, Kise had a sudden burst of speed that left Aomine stunned.

'Even Kise!? What the hell is going on!?' Imayoshi was too astonished to move, frozen where he stood.

Snarling, Aomine jumped for Kise who was already in midair for the layup.

"I've had enough of your petty tricks!"

Kise was more than capable of seeing Aomine coming his way now, and so he reacted accordingly. He lowered his arm before Aomine had a chance to slam the ball out of his grasp. In the meantime, Naruto came jumping toward them from the side, right at the perfect position for Kise to pass him the ball.

It was almost like a repeat of the second quarter, and like then, Aomine had to watch Naruto slam the ball in the net over him, unable to stop him.

As the audience cheered, Kagami had to ask the obvious question in the room.

"What's going on? I thought they couldn't react to Aomine…...!"

"There's only one answer," Kuroko said, his eyes wide.

Midorima was on the same page even though they weren't near one another.

'The two of them…...have entered Zone!'

Orange electricity shot out from Naruto's eyes, and yellow electricity sparked from Kise's as the two boys landed on the floor.

While Momoi had to gape at this development, a smile began to form on Yuki's face.

'This…...is the Double Ace Awakening!'

Aomine was hunched over after the play, but then he started to laugh. It was a laugh that emitted nothing but joy and gratitude.

"Hahahaha! This is…..." He turned to look at Naruto and Kise, the delight all over his face.

"I take back what I said about you two. This is just the best!"

* * *

 **Man, returning to college after a long break is a real pain in the pass. All sorts of schedule changes have to be made, and the work on top of that. It's a real pain in the pass. Also, it's been brought to my attention that Eiji shares the same name as Rakuzan's coach. Ain't that something? It would have been great if I had done that on purpose, but nope. Just my dumbassery coming into play. Is that even a word? Whatever, I'm going with it. I'll just make some jokes about the two of them sharing the same name. That's all I can do at this point.**

 **Anyway, the climax of the match has finally arrived! And yes, both Naruto and Kise went Zone. I had originally made it so only Naruto went Zone, but I changed my mind. Given their relationship, it made sense that they entered Zone together. To protect their promise and bond. There's one more surprise coming up, so be ready for that too.**

 **Next chapter, this match concludes! So who will win? Wait to find out.**

 **Till next time.**


	8. For The Team

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke**

* * *

 **Chapter 7:  
** **For The Team**

 _Yuki had a destination._

 _She_ _knew exactly where to find him on days like this. Days where he would simply not show up to class. First period had just ended, but she knew that he wasn't going to show his face for the rest of the day. She was starting to think she had him dialed in pretty well, even though they had only known each other for a couple of months now. It sort of felt longer than that, probably because he was such a pain to deal with._

 _Yuki wouldn't change a thing, though. Well, except for maybe one tiny detail. But it was something out of her control, something only he could solve. She could only give him support, as his friend._

 _Yuki reached the top of the staircase and opened the door to the roof of the school, and sure enough she found the person she was looking for._

 _Naruto's ears twitched a little at the sound of the door opening behind him, but he didn't turn to look who it was. He already knew._

" _You're early today, Yuki."_

 _Usually she waited until third period to come and try to get him back to class. Not that it ever worked, but she was persistent.  
_

" _We both already know that waiting for you to show up is pointless," she retorted with a hand on her hips. "You'll just use this time to nap more."_

 _He wished he could be napping right now, but he simply couldn't. Not right now._

 _Sighing, Yuki walked closer to the blond until she was standing next to him by the railing of the rooftop._

" _Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or am I going to have to force it out of you?"_

 _So she knew._

 _Naruto didn't meet her gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."_

 _She continued to stare. "Don't take me for an idiot. I saw the bags under your eyes. You haven't been sleeping well, have you?"_

 _Why did she have to be so sharp? It made it really hard to hide stuff from her._

 _Yuki started to tap her foot on the ground, a sign that she was losing patience._

" _You already know how this is going to end, so you might as well just make it easier for the both of us and tell me what's troubling you. It'll probably make you feel better too."_

 _Sheesh, at times like this you could never tell that technically she was his maid. But it was usually the other way around. She ordered him, and he would typically obey. Not that he would change their relationship either. If anything, it was one of the few comforts Naruto had in this world._

 _Well, whatever. There was no reason to hide this anymore. Not when she already caught him._

" _I had a nightmare a couple days ago."_

 _Her tapping stopped. "A nightmare?"_

 _Naruto nodded as a soft gust of wind blew past them. "Yeah. I was in a dark room with a bunch of other shadows. They kept trying to reach me, but something was stopping them. Like an invisible wall. I couldn't move either, frozen where I stood. I couldn't speak or scream either. No matter how hard I tried, my voice couldn't reach them, and then one by one…..they started to disappear until I was left all alone in that room."_

 _Yuki couldn't begin to describe the dread that was building up inside of her as she heard this._

" _That-"_

" _I got the same feeling as when I first woke up." Naruto slammed his hand on the railing, his face twisted in anger. "That feeling of pure loss. Like there is something important that I'm supposed to remember, but I can never do it no matter how hard I try. Like there is another part of my brain that is just disconnected from the rest of me. It's…...frustrating."_

 _Yuki placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your therapist-"_

" _I don't need that!" He shook her hand off as he turned away from the railing. Away from her. "I just need to remember. To know why I feel like I don't belong here. I need to remember. Once I do, everything will be okay. I just know it."_

 _He **had** to be right. He just had to._

 _This was the root of the problem, all of them. Why he was always cutting class. Why he rarely smiled. Why he never interacted with any of the other students. He simply didn't feel like he belonged here. It didn't help that the rest of the school saw him as different than the rest, with his appearance also playing a big role in that. His 'loner' attitude only cemented that weird image in their minds. But Yuki knew it was just the blond's way of trying to cope with everything he had to deal with. He didn't want to be alone, but he didn't want to be treated as something special either. He just wanted to be accepted as a normal person, but he didn't know **how** to go about doing that._

 _Because he didn't know what 'normal' was._

 _Sighing again, Yuki took the blond's hand and guided him down to the ground with her. Naruto shot her a questioning stare, but the look on her face stopped him from complaining. That was another trick of hers. She could be scarier than his mother sometimes._

 _In the end, Naruto didn't mind as Yuki placed his head on her lap while she ran her hands through his golden locks. He found her touch soothing, specially at times like this. It was probably because Yuki was the only person who could see him for himself other than his mother. It's why he treasured his bond with her so much. If he didn't have her, then he might have gone further down into the darkness.  
_

" _It's frustrating, but there will definitely come a time when you can find something you want to protect. A place where you feel like you belong, memories or no memories. People who you'll form bonds with, bonds that can last a lifetime."_

 _She made it sound so easy._

" _I doubt it."_

 _She flicked his forehead, much to his annoyance. "Don't talk back when I'm trying to console you. It's rude."_

 _Sheesh, so forceful._

 _Yuki smiled. "But I'm serious. Everyone has a place in this world. It only takes time and a little effort to find it."_

 _Everyone, huh? From the bottom of his heart, Naruto wished the girl was right. If so, if the day came when he found something in this world that could make him escape this monotony, a place that could accept him, a place that he could call his own…...then he would protect it with everything he had._

 _That was a promise._

* * *

Naruto didn't know what it was, but he felt different from before. He felt more in-tune with his body and his senses, almost like he was returning to a state that was more natural than anything he could remember. He felt like he could defeat anyone that stood in his way, and that was exactly what he was going to do. The cheering from the spectators didn't matter. It wasn't about pleasing them. No, this was about something far more important than that.

The orange electricity sparked around his eyes as he glared at the amused Aomine.

"We are not going to lose to someone like you. This team isn't that weak."

Kise stood next to him, his face saying everything that needed to be said. The yellow electricity coming from his eyes sparked intensely as well, matching Naruto's. The determination was there, and it wasn't just from the two of them.

"Hah, couldn't have said it better myself." Kasamatsu walked in between them, ready to lead this team to the very end.

Moriyama and Kobori took their positions behind Naruto and Kise, showing their support as well. Not with words, but with action.

Aomine wasn't threatened by this in the slightest. He was just happy to have a _true_ challenge after so long. The outcome wasn't going to change, though. In the end, there was only one truth.

The only one who could beat him was him.

* * *

There was a shift in the game after this new development. You could say things had reverted back to how they had been in the second quarter.

It was Aomine versus Naruto and Kise, only none of the other players could keep track of them now. Not even close. If they had been struggling before, it was safe to say that they were totally lost now.

Aomine shot forward like a bullet with the ball in hand, blitzing past Kasamatsu and Moriyama like they weren't even there. That hadn't changed since the start of the third quarter. They were like training dummies and nothing else, much to their ire.

'Goddammit, when is this guy going to slow down!?' Kasamatsu thought in anger, his heart beating loudly in his ears.

But there was no need to feel such terror anymore. Not when they had their trusty aces.

Naruto and Kise stood by the basket, waiting patiently for Aomine to come to them. You might even be able to call it an ambush. In a situation like this, someone is Aomine's position would simply pass the ball over to Sakurai who was free and make the three. But Aomine wasn't most people. There was no way he was ever going to pass. He was going for the win, and he didn't need any teammates to help him achieve that victory.

'That reckless bastard!' Wakamatsu was livid as he saw this. Didn't Aomine realize that things were different now!? If Naruto and Kise were in the Zone, then the advantage he had over them was now gone! In fact, it was the exact opposite!

In his seat, Kuroko came to the same conclusion.

'It's going to be like before…..'

Aomine's momentum didn't stop, though, and he charged forward until Naruto and Kise were right in front of him. It was here where the two blond's sprung into action, moving just as fast as Aomine. Not only that, but they moved with exact precision, timing each other's moves perfectly.

'It's Kise-kun's copy.' Yuki's eyes marveled at the sight, even if she could only see some of it. The two weren't doing anything differently, but with Zone now added to the mix, it brought a new exciting element to the table. It was almost like a work of art come to life.

It was here where Aomine had to give pause as Naruto and Kise performed their perfectly balanced defense on him. One of them was bad enough, but it was the two at once.

'What pressure!' Kagami thought with wide eyes. He could tell from a glance. In his current state, he wouldn't be able to handle something like that at all. This powerful defense…...it was stronger than anything he'd seen. The proof? Aomine wasn't able to advance at all.

"I can't believe this at all."

Momoi didn't need to look at their coach to know that he was just as much in disbelief as she was.

'Aomine-kun…...'

Aomine practically growled as he tried to maneuver around the two blond's, adding his change of pace to spin past them at different times. But it didn't amount to anything. Not even close. Whenever he would go for an opening, either Naruto or Kise would suddenly appear to close it and vice versa. It was almost like they were reading the other's mind. That's how perfectly timed their move were, forcing Aomine to come to a standstill.

"Their movements, they're exactly the same," Kiyoshi commented, feeling overwhelmed by the showing. Kise was the key to this. His copying abilities were allowing the two to stay in tandem. It really was like there were two Naruto's out there.

Incredible.

Aomine wasn't feeling so kind, his anger skyrocketing as he blitzed forward again. "Why you-!" He actually managed to get around Naruto, and it looked like he was going to break their defense.

But was he really?

'This isn't good!' Imayoshi saw what was about to happen and began to run toward Aomine in the small hope that perhaps he would finally pass the ball. But it was all in vain.

Kise reached through Aomine's blind spot to knock the ball from his hand just as Aomine thought he was in the clear, and he was none the wiser until after the fact.

The wide-eyed Aomine turned his head just in time to see Naruto taking possession of the loose ball.

'No!'

It was truly a spectacle for everyone watching.

"It happened," Hyūga muttered. "A turnover, and it was against Aomine in the Zone…..."

None of the others were able to say anything, their eyes glue to the game below. But their faces spoke volume.

They were in awe.

"Stop them!" Takeuchi shot up from the bench with his shout. If those two were allowed to score now, then they could possibly take control of the rest of the quarter. That could _not_ happen!

In the court, it was Naruto who had the ball, and he was already mid-court when Imayoshi popped up in front of him to try and stop him. But much like with Kasamatsu and Moriyama against Aomine, he wasn't able to slow Naruto down at all as the Uzumaki simply shot around the glasses-wearer like a bolt of lightning.

'This speed…...!' It was the first time Imayoshi was on the receiving end of a drive of someone in the Zone, and he had to admit that it was beyond amazing. It almost felt like he was watching someone move at the speed of light, too slow for him to react, least of all try to stop him.

The same was true for Susa and Sakurai, neither player being able to do anything about Naruto's new speed when they tried to stop him.

Aomine was a different story, the tanned boy showing up next to Naruto out the blue as he tried to reach for the ball. But almost like he had planned ahead, Naruto dribbled the ball to his other hand and away from Aomine's reach before shooting it back over his shoulder to where Kise was, the model catching it with ease.

'You're not pulling that one on me again!' Almost like he was showing off his reaction time, Aomine did a one-eighty turn in a split second just as Kise was about to shoot for the three.

"Wait, what!?" Moriyama almost let out a gasp at this. Did Aomine really think he was going to be able to stop the three from going in!? At that distance!?

It was a tense second for everyone on the court, and even those watching. Would Kise's shot be stopped? It almost looked like Aomine was going to do just that, which would definitely stop the momentum Naruto and Kise had going on.

In response, Kise merely grinned.

'Like I said, you can't trick me!' Aomine was more than ready to intercept Kise if he decided to pull off a fake and go for a drive instead. He was no longer going to be falling for that same trick.

'You still haven't learned, Aominecchi.' Kise wasn't fazed by Aomine's presence. After all, he wasn't fighting alone in the court.

Aomine watched how the trajectory of Kise's shot changed from a three pointer to a simple pass. The receiver of the pass was obvious. It went straight for Naruto, who was already waiting for the ball from inside the three point line.

Naruto looked to be going for a dunk right after, and to everyone it seemed like he would be getting an easy two points here.

Things were never that simple that, though, and in another impressive showing of speed and reaction, Aomine was in front of the whiskered blond with the block.

"You can't beat me!" Aomine shouted, pushing his body in the Zone to the max.

'This guy-!' Riko was in total awe at Aomine's movements, as was everyone else in Seirin. Even Kagami. 'Doesn't he ever quit!?'

'That's not possible!' Yuki's eyes widened. Just how fast and persistent was Aomine anyway!? To do something like this…...

Momoi just watched on, her legs shaky.

Naruto didn't seem bothered by this at all, his face never losing its determination. Rather, he simply side-jumped at the same moment Aomine jumped for the block. Aomine had to watch as Naruto brought his arm back with the ball, already knowing what was about to happen.

And he could do nothing about it.

Naruto threw the ball right for the basket in midair. With the speed and power behind it, the shot wasn't stoppable by anyone. The ball hit the backboard before making its way down to the net.

The shot was good.

The spectators went crazy again, ecstatic to see such a trick shot in real life. Their excitement was simply not containable at this point.

'Unbelievable.' Imayoshi almost felt like he had to pinch himself to make sure he was still awake. It was only reasonable, after witnessing such an amazing Formless Shot.

And it wasn't from Aomine.

Furihata pointed a shaky finger down to Naruto who was already heading back to the rest of his team.

"T-That just happened, right?"

He too needed to make sure that this was real life.

"That form and speed." Izuki grimaced. "How can anyone move like that?"

He had already seen amazing stuff from Aomine, as well as from Kise and Midorima. But this? This took the cake.

'Facing that…...' Kagami gritted his teeth while Kuroko watched in silence.

'That was an amazing play for sure, but that's not the main problem here,' Rika thought, her eyes going to Aomine who hadn't moved after the play. 'The problem is…...'

'Aomine-kun can't defeat the two of them.' Momoi wasn't going to turn her eyes from the truth here. The worst possible outcome had happened. It wasn't just Naruto who could match Aomine, but Kise too. And with Aomine's refusal to work with anyone else, there was no way to catch them off guard.

"Sheesh, you really went slow with that pass at the end, Kise. I had to lower my speed for you, ya know."

Momoi came out of her thoughts to see Naruto and Kise jogging back to the others, the two exchanging a few words.

"Huh? But Uzumakicchi, going faster can be dangerous! You think you can handle it?"

"Of course I can, idiot."

"Jeez, you're always so mean to me. Being nicer for once wouldn't hurt."

Momoi's eyes watered a little at the sight. Those two…..they were just like Aomine and Kise used to be, back when they were all together. But now, things were just…...

Yuki was in the opposite mood, her face full of delight at seeing Naruto and Kise working together so well like this. Even if their banter would suggest otherwise.

'There is no better choice for Kise's partner.' Takeuchi was just as happy as well, a half-grin breaking out on his face.

"T'ch." Wakamatsu scowled as he watched Kaijō cheer. "Idiots. Being so happy over this…..."

It was only one small victory dammit. Why were they acting like they had won the game?

Imayoshi knew, though. He was on the same page as both Riko and Momoi.

"Oi, Aomine-"

"Don't talk to me." Aomine finally moved, facing to look at the retreating Naruto and Kise. But instead of looking worried, he appeared to be genuine happy. And excited.

"The fun part is only starting."

"Mother-!" Wakamatsu looked ready to try and hit Aomine again, but Imayoshi held him back. In-fighting wouldn't accomplish anything right now. Still…..

'Just what do you think you can do here?' He wanted to say that out loud, he really did. This was only the third quarter. They were already losing. Heading into the fourth quarter with a wider gap in their scores wouldn't benefit them at all.

That wasn't all they had to worry about, though.

From where she sat, Rika was able to get a read on some of Aomine's stats. It wasn't a complete analysis because his uniform was in the way, but the ones she could see told a grim story.

"Aomine has been in the Zone for just about the whole quarter, hasn't he?"

Her question got the others looking at her.

"Yeah? What about it?" Kagami asked her, not seeing why that mattered.

Riko narrowed her eyes. "This is the first time I'm seeing it in person, but it's not hard to see how taxing this state must be. All those movements…...it's practically pushing you to your limit."

It was your one hundred perfect, after all. Of course it would be tiring.

Kiyoshi was the first one to get where she was going with this. He knew just how talented her eyes were.

"Are you saying that….?"

"It's not just him either." Riko's eyes went to Naruto and Kise. It was unbelievable really, but she couldn't see an end to Naruto's stats, but they were dropping too. It was a similar story for Kise. It was probably because this was their first time in this state. The cost was heavier for them.

Kuroko looked down at Aomine who was looking ready for the next play.

Who was going to crumble first? That was the question now.

* * *

Despite Naruto and Kise's shutdown, Aomine pushed forward with the same enthusiasm from before. It was almost like that defeat just now hadn't happened.

Reality told a different story.

It was almost like things were reverting back to the first half, as Naruto and Kise mounted their double-team on Aomine only on a higher level from before. In the series of plays that followed, things played out the same way.

Aomine couldn't get past them. That was the simple truth. Even if he got into a shooting position, all his shots were blocked at the last second. Naruto and Kise made sure he was never in a comfortable position to shoot either. They pushed him to his extremes, and this only added to his fatigue that was building up.

That fatigue was spreading to the others too. They were all looking ready to pass out.

'It feels like we're just running back and forth again,' Wakamatsu thought while he panted heavily. There was no way for any of them to get directly involved. They had barely been able to keep up with the three before, and that was putting it generously. But now? When they were in the Zone? No proper defense could be mounted again these monsters.

The situation looked more grim as Kise managed to outright dunk right through Aomine. This was followed by Naruto slapping the ball from Aomine's hands before he scored with a dunk of his own.

'It looks like it's starting.' Midorima pushed his glasses up his nose. 'The limit of Aomine's Zone…..'

The others in Tōō saw this too. Aomine was cracking first.

'He has to try twice as hard against those two,' a grimacing Imayoshi said to himself. 'He can't keep this up.'

Aomine didn't see things that way, though.

'You've got to be kidding me...'

He wasn't going to be stopped like this. He wasn't going to lose. He _couldn't_ lose. He was the strongest.

"I'm not going to lose!" he declared as he went for another Formless Shot. But his form lacked its usual stability, for a lack of a better word. He was letting his frustrations cloud his judgement, that much was plain to see. The shot probably wouldn't go in.

Not that it mattered as Kise jumped for the block and slammed the ball back down just as it left Aomine's hand, not an ounce of hesitation on him. Aomine was left stunned to the point that he fell back instead of landing on his feet, finally snapping out of his Zone.

"You're slipping, Aominecchi," Kise whispered as he took off for the ball.

Aomine was just left sitting in front of the basket, not moving an inch. He couldn't.

The others in his team weren't able to concern themselves with this, though, as Kise was already on the counterattack. There were around fifteen seconds left on the clock, and if nothing else they were going to make sure that Kise didn't get another shot in.

The task seemed impossible as Kise dribbled right past Susa and Wakamatsu with ease.

"SHOOT IT IN, KISE!" Kasamatsu shouted in support, with Naruto and the others chiming in right after him.

Everyone from Tōō held their breath. It looked like the gap in their scores would increase, which would only put them in a worse position than they already were. But in another unexpected turn, the ball fell from Kise's hands as the blond suddenly fell to his knees before he could jump for the dunk, unable to remain standing anymore.

Yuki gasped. "Kise-san!"

The others on the bench beside her shared similar reactions, as did the spectators.

"What just happened!?" Kagami asked as he leaned in closer from his seat. "Why did Kise…...!?"

"It's the effects of the Zone," Rika surmised. It was just as she feared. Kise had already been overexerting himself as he copied Naruto's and Aomine's moves. And he'd been doing that since the second quarter. Adding Zone on top of that? It was amazing he lasted as long as he did.

Imayoshi was coming to the same conclusion, but he wasn't going to let this opportunity go. He dashed for the ball, which was free for anyone to take. There were still ten seconds left. He had to make the most of this.

Only Kasamatsu was able to react to his actions, as even Naruto was too surprised by Kise's collapse to do anything.

Imayoshi looked a bit annoyed when he noticed Kasamatsu sticking to him. He wasn't going to be able to get into a favorable shooting position. Not with so few time left.

Only three seconds remained.

"There's no helping it then."

Kasamatsu was a second too late to react to Imayoshi's sudden shot, as he never expected for Imayoshi to do something so brash. But Kasamatsu was confident it wouldn't go in. The guy had just randomly shot it. There was no way he was making it.

Imayoshi just smiled as the ball hit the sides of the rim but still went into the net as the buzzer rang. He had managed to score an improvised buzzer beater, much to the excitement of the viewers.

Kasamatsu was left gaping. 'How did that…...!?'

"Oh, boy. Would you look at that," Imayoshi said, still smiling. Although it was a bit more ominous than normal. "It went in. I sure am _lucky_ , eh? Ahahaha….."

The laugh genuinely made Kasamatsu want to punch him in the face, a feeling he rarely got. With the others in his team, it was never truly serious. But this guy?

What a bastard.

"I don't think you should be focusing on me right now." Imayoshi turned away from the glaring Kasamatsu. "I think your teammate needs the attention more than me."

That snapped Kasamatsu back to reality, and he looked back to the still collapsed Kise.

"Kise!"

He wasn't alone as the others ran to Kise as well.

" _The third quarter is over,"_ the announcer said for everyone to hear. _"We will now have a two minute intermission."_

Naruto didn't bother to pay attention to the announcement as he knelt next to Kise.

"Kise! You're-"

"I'm sorry." Kise had his head bowed. His hands were clenched at his side. He wanted nothing more than to hit his twitching legs, to force them to get up. But he knew that would accomplish nothing. "I'm sorry for being so weak."

The tears came next. It was involuntary, but they stemmed from his frustration. He couldn't believe this was the way he had to end the game.

"Don't be a moron."

Kise looked up in surprise as Naruto pulled up to his feet. The Uzumaki had Kise's arm drape around his shoulder for support. "No one here thinks you're weak. It's the opposite really."

Moriyama was smiling. "Yeah. You gave everyone a helluva surprise."

"That's true," Kobori said, also smiling. "You've been fighting just as hard if not harder than the rest of us. We don't hold this against you."

"Hear that, you fool?" Kasamatsu stepped up from Kise's other side to slap the blond on the back of the head. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Hold your head high."

Kise's tears still fell as the others helped him out of the court, but it wasn't from shame or frustration. Now, they were just tears of content. He was reminded again that he wasn't fighting alone. He had a team with him.

Aomine watched them go in silence before turning to his team's bench, where Momoi and the others were waiting for him.

This game wasn't over yet.

* * *

"The score is 73 to 68," Koganei said as he looked at the scoreboard. "It's so close!"

Hyūga crossed his arms. "The score isn't the important factor here. It doesn't look like Kise will be able to play again, and there's still the fourth quarter to play."

"He'll come back."

The others turned to Kuroko who was staring down at Kise and Naruto.

"What did you say?"

"He'll come back," Kuroko repeated. He was sure of himself. "Kise-kun isn't this weak. I'm sure he'll come back."

"You say that, but the guy could barely move," Kagami responded. He wanted to believe in the guy too, but after seeing that?

"Well, if he does back, it won't be until the last few minutes of the quarter," Kiyoshi guessed. "Which means….."

"Uzumaki-san has to deal with Aomine all on his own," Riko finished for him.

With the two teams so evenly matched, that's what it would come down to. A battle between the aces.

"Uzumaki and Aomine," Kagami muttered, his face unsure. He honestly had no idea who would come out on top in this case. The two were so evenly matched.

"But Aomine is exhausted?" Izuki pointed out. "I don't think he can keep up with Uzumaki-san, not when he's still in the Zone."

Maybe so, but Riko still didn't look convinced. Not after what Kuroko had told them, how Aomine became stronger over time. Especially when a tough opponent was involved.

In the end, they would have to just wait and see what happened.

* * *

"Kise-san, are you alright!?"

The blond smiled a little as Naruto sat him down on the bench with the rest.

"Yeah, Sugawaracchi. You don't have to worry about me."

Yuki still worried, especially when she could still see traces of tears left in the boy's eyes.

"This is an undesirable development, but one we must deal with," the coach said as he stood before his team. "For the time being, we'll have to let Uzumaki deal with Aomine."

Naruto nodded. "You don't have to worry about that. I still more than enough power to crush that guy."

Not that was one thing Yuki didn't doubt.

Kasamatsu patted the Uzumaki on the back. "H'mph, then it's settled I think. We'll leave that monster to you."

"On that note." Takeuchi looked at Nakamura. "Nakamura. You're up."

The glasses-wearer looked surprised by this. "Me?"

"Yeah. We can entrust our offense to Uzumaki. That leaves the rest of you on defense. You're the best suited for this."

Nakamura stood up. He didn't need further explanation. "Alright. I'll give it my all." He then looked at Naruto. "But it goes without saying that defending against Aomine is up to you."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it."

Naruto didn't need to be told a third time.

"Naruto-kun." Yuki approached the boy, beaming. "Good luck."

Now how could he lose when Yuki was cheering for him too?

He grinned. "Yeah."

Moriyama sulked at the sight while Kise chuckled. "Sorry about this, Uzumakicchi. Leaving on an uncool note like this…..."

"Just focus on getting better." Naruto stretched his arms out to loosen his body up a bit. "Before that, you can count on the rest of us."

"Damn right." Kasamatsu smirked as he faced the court again. "Kaijō isn't going to lose here."

Moriyama grinned, perking back up. "Of course. The cute girl sitting in the third to last row would be disappointed in me if we lost. We can't have that, now can we?"

Kobori sweatdropped. "That sounds like you're not taking this seriously at all…..."

"This team gives me no hope sometimes," Nakamura muttered as he stood by them.

"You morons, ruining the moment." Kasamatsu look livid again, but that was per the course at this point.

Naruto just snorted. He was surrounded by morons alright. And no, he wasn't one of them…...maybe.

Yuki giggled, amused.

Despite his eagerness to face Aomine, to want to defeat the person he had looked up to in the past, Kise found himself feeling strangely okay with this. It was probably because of before, because of his revelation. It was the same way back in the first quarter, when he stepped back to let Naruto take on Aomine first.

'This must be what Kurokocchi was talking about before, what he meant about a _team_.'

It wasn't about yourself. It was about everyone. That's why he was okay with leaving this to them. Because, while he did want to win, he wanted to win _with them_. That desire was stronger than anything else. It was something Aomine still couldn't understand, or rather something he _wouldn't_ understand.

Kise glanced to Aomine who was sitting with his towel hanging from his head. He didn't look to be paying any attention to what was happening around him, much to the ire of the others in his team.

"Aomine, you bastard, are you even listening!?" Wakamatsu pointed at him with a heavy scowl.

"Huh?" Aomine just barely lifted his head. "What?"

Before Wakamatsu could go off on him, Momoi stepped in.

"Aomine-kun, you have to take this seriously! Our game plan-"

"Don't need it."

"Huh?" Momoi was at a loss for words. It was a weird reaction from her really. She should have expected this, but at the same time it still caught Momoi off guard. But why? She had no answer to her own question.

The whistle was blown from the referee, signaling the end of the intermission.

"Oi, is this really okay?" Susa muttered to Imayoshi. "Aomine is-"

"Just leave it." Imayoshi got up to his feet and looked over to Naruto and Kise. "They've lost one of their precious duo. That's the only opening we need."

Susa didn't look convinced, and neither did Wakamatsu. But they weren't going to go against Imayoshi's word.

Harasawa twirled a strand of his hair between his fingers, his face thoughtful. "Well, it's like Imayoshi says. As long as there's only one of them, their offense will be more exploitable. If we keep out of Uzumaki's reach, then everything should be fine."

But for that to absolutely work, then they would need Aomine to start cooperating with them. None of them were counting on that, though, so they would just do what they could.

While Imayoshi, Susa, Sakurai, and Wakamatsu walked back onto the court, Momoi noticed that Aomine still hadn't moved from his seat.

"Aomine-kun?" she called out, the worry obvious in her voice.

The boy lifted his face again and saw that the others had already started to move.

He took the towel from his head and got up. "Sorry, Satsuki. My mind was on something else."

And like that, Momoi finally realized why she had been surprised before. It was because Aomine lacked his usual bite. He sounded more…..at ease, if that made any sense. But that couldn't be. The last time he had been like this during a match was…...

'Back in Teikō…..'

Momoi was left with these thoughts as Aomine followed the others. Naruto and the rest of his team were already waiting for him.

'I have faith in you, Uzumakicchi,' Kise thought from the sidelines with Yuki sitting next to him.

"It's time for the final quarter," Hyūga murmured.

Kiyoshi nodded. "Yeah. It all comes down to this."

Who was going to come out on top?

* * *

As soon as the buzzer went off to start off the final quarter of the game, the ball was thrown in and in Kaijō's possession. It was Kasamatsu who received it, and Imayoshi was there to mark him just as he had all throughout the game so far.

Kasamatsu was able to tell right away that the fire hadn't left any of the players from Tōō. They were still looking for victory, and as long as that was the case this was not going to be an easy win.

But after coming this far, Kasamatsu wouldn't have expected anything else from his opponents.

Imayoshi smiled, almost mockingly-so. "Well? Are you coming or not?"

"H'mph, there is no reason to beat around the bush," Kasamatsu retorted.

Imayoshi didn't understand, but he got the explanation he needed when Kasamatsu passed the ball right to Naruto.

The glasses-wearer stopped himself from scowling. 'They're not going to slow down it seems.'

Not that they had a reason to. Unlike Aomine and Kise, Naruto didn't seem to be exhausted even after using Zone.

"So they're going for it again," Midorima observed as Naruto and Aomine faced off against one another. But as long as Naruto remained in the Zone, then there was no way Aomine was going to be able to keep up.

Everyone in Seirin was thinking the same thing too.

The stare off between Naruto and Aomine lasted for a couple more seconds, but the battle began in an instant. Naruto went for a direct drive, the orange electric hue around his eyes lighting up more strongly than any other time in the game so far. Under normal circumstances, such a move wouldn't have worked on someone like Aomine as he would have been able to keep up with ease. But that wasn't the case here. Naruto was like a speeding bullet, and Aomine wasn't able to stop the blond from going right through.

'Dammit, it's just like we feared!' In a rare showing, Imayoshi cursed. But what he was seeing more than justified it. Their ace was no longer able to keep up. This only spelled defeat for them.

Naruto raced for the basket as Susa tried to intercept him. Naruto admittedly slowed down for half a second before doing a spin that took him around Susa and his defense.

Susa was left wide-eyed while Naruto kept moving forward. The blond then jumped for the dunk with everyone in Kaijō, even those sitting in the audience seats, cheering him on. None was louder than Kise, though, who was more than happy to see Naruto defeating Aomine.

But at the last second, that excitement died when Naruto's dunk was swatted away, and by none other than Aomine.

"What the hell!?" Kagami shouted, taken back by this. "I thought Aomine couldn't keep up anymore!?"

No one said anything. Even those on the court were shocked.

'This guy…...' Kasamatsu gritted his teeth.

Aomine stared at Naruto, hard. "You've underestimated me if you think I can't keep up anymore." His statement was followed by the crackling of electricity shooting from his eyes with just as much intensity as Naruto's.

'He's still in the Zone,' Yuki thought in disbelief. Even after being in that state for about an entire quarter, he was still able to use it?

Momoi just stared on, doing her best to keep calm. But the worry in her eyes spoke a different story.

"Don't think you can take it easy while I'm still here," Aomine growled. "If you can afford to be that laid-back, then you should be coming at me like your life is on the line!"

That declaration was met with stunned silence from the others. All but Naruto who chuckled softly as he turned to Aomine.

"Seriously. First Kise, and now you." The blond gave him a feral grin. "But it would have been too easy if you'd given up like that."

The two boys matched glares, and thus proved Kuroko's words correct.

This match wasn't over until that final buzzer.

* * *

 **So I** _ **severely**_ **underestimated what I had left to write for this match, to the point that I had to split it into two. Sorry about that. I also apologize for my lateness. Other necessities got in the way, and I was also torn on how to develop this part of the match. Like I said last time, there was another 'surprise' coming. Well, I ended up cutting out that surprise. Why? Because I came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be in Aomine's character to do what I originally had planned for him, and that's for him to start working with his team near the end of the match. He's too headstrong, or stubborn, to do something like that this early in his development. Even with someone like Naruto standing against him. Hell, I was so torn on this that I wrote two versions of this chapter, and finally decided on this. So yeah.**

 **I must also get something off my chest that's been bothering me for the past two chapters or so. I don't remember if I've said this already, or if I've only hinted at it, but I'm going to be blunt.**

 **Naruto IS NOT going to be OP in this story. He's just not. He's going to struggle against all of the GOM's, and they will grow because of him too. With that, I will also say that chakra will not be involved in this story either. I wanted to wait with that reveal, but it's obvious some people are too impatient. I also know plenty of people will say that I'm underestimating Naruto, making him 'too weak.' And you're probably right. But I don't care. I've already written OP Naruto's in my first two stories, and I want to do something different now. The amnesia is part of that too. And if you're wondering why I didn't use a different kind of Naruto for this (like from earlier in Shippuden or a Naruto born in this world), it's because the Naruto from the war arc is my favorite version of the blond. His character has practically been butchered in Boruto. The fact that he's stronger as an adult means very little to me when I take that into account.**

 **I've tried to explain all of this logically (such as the fact that a shinobi's body is enhanced beyond normal because of chakra but there is no chakra in this world), but that doesn't seem to make a difference. So again, I've stopped caring. This is one of those stories that's just pure fun. It's basketball. I only wanted to see Naruto interact with the characters from this universe. That's my only motivation for this story since I love both of these manga/anime. The amnesia is just to add a different dimension to this Naruto and separate it from my other stories. That's why the Yuki and Kaga characters were created too, to help with that.**

 **Anyway, if any of that annoys you, then do us both a favor and stop reading. It's better than reading a story that clearly won't interest you, and better than having me read the same kind of reviews and PM's over and over again. I'm not budging on any of this.**

 **Sorry for that rant. I just had to get that out.**

 **This match will definitely end next chapter, which I will try to get out sooner than this chapter. But no promises.**

 **Hope you've enjoyed it.**

 **Till next time.**


	9. Winners and Losers

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

 **AN: To "Cane." I don't really mind. Go forth, and increase my influence over the Polish people, so that I may one day rule over you! Hahahahaha!**

 **...but yeah, go for it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8:  
** **Winners and Losers**

There was no sound coming from the audience. No cheering. No big applause. Not even shouting. Nothing. Just pure silence.

Why?

It wasn't because the game had turned for the worst, and they were no longer enjoying themselves. No, no. It was the exact opposite really. There was no cheering or applause because the crowd was too mesmerized by what they were seeing.

Kagami, Kuroko, and the rest in Seirin were caught in the same trance. As was Midorima, not that he would ever admit to such a thing. It even extended to those in the bench of each team, their eyes glued to the action on the court.

But why? What was so different now?

There was a simple answer. It was because they were all seeing two players in the Zone going head-to-head. It was totally different from before, from when Kise was in the mix. Now, it was like they were seeing an elaborate dance performance, one that no one else was allowed to partake in.

It was incredible.

Naruto and Aomine were the ones feeling this rush the most. The two were focused solely on the plays the other performed, making sure to keep at any and all turns. Neither lost focus of this. The other players didn't matter right now. It was only between the two of them.

The two boys pushed their bodies to their limits, each suffering from different weaknesses but neither letting that stop them.

The ball was thrown in, and it didn't take long for Aomine to snatch it for himself. This surprised no one at this point. Kasamatsu and Moriyama went in to try and stop Aomine, but this did next to nothing to stop Aomine's momentum as he sped past them with his incredibly fast drive.

Naruto appeared next and stuck close to Aomine, whose eyes took on a ferocious look as more electricity shot out and sparked stronger than before. This was a sure-tell sign of Aomine's intense focus at the moment.

Naruto wasn't far behind, though, as he too showed his serious side and kept on Aomine. In response, Aomine did a quick spin with Naruto stepping back to block Aomine from pushing forward. Not looking to lose, Aomine did a quick crossover followed by a second spin, which had Naruto lose traction for a split second. But that window was all Aomine needed to win. He shot to the air like a bullet, his speed surprising everyone but Naruto who quickly followed suit. But that small gap between them was still there, and it was enough for Aomine to perform another Formless Shot and send the ball to the net, scoring.

Naruto mentally cursed.

It was only at this point that some in the audience were finally able to start cheering again, bringing life back into the room.

'H-He can still shoot like that,' Yuki thought from her seat with a worried look.

'Unbelievable,' a panting Kasamatsu said to himself, gritting his teeth. 'He's not slowing down at all. Far from it. He's actually playing better than before. What incredible focus!'

Their coach wasn't far behind with this analysis, his eyes narrowed. 'It's just as we thought. He really is a monster.'

The ace for the Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki. He far surpassed any other player they had come across in this tournament so far.

Even so.

Kise smiled. 'He's not the only monster to watch out for.'

The next play arrived quickly on the court, and it was Naruto who had the ball this time. Just as expected, Aomine stood in his path, ready to stop him. Naruto sped forward and tried to find a way around Aomine, who didn't let him through. He didn't even give an inch. That's how ferociously Aomine was playing now.

Naruto didn't seem to crack under the pressure, and instead pulled a quick spin of his own to give himself some room. Aomine fell for the trap, thinking that Naruto was going to try and get around him. But at the last possible moment, he realized that that wasn't Naruto's plan at all.

'Bastard-!'

He quickly jumped to try and stop the incoming shot, but he was a second too late as Naruto performed another Formless Shot of his own. The shot went in, admittedly hitting the rim before going in. But it still counted.

Kagami's eyes were wide in shock. "That was the same shot as Aomine's."

"It's Uzumaki-kun's way of declaring war," Kuroko said, his eyes focused on the match below. "He's not going to lose, no matter what Aomine-kun does. That's what he's saying...I think."

The other first-years gulped in their seats while the second-years watched on.

"You can't beat me that way!" Aomine shouted as he dunked right through Naruto in the next play.

"Shut up, just watch me!" Naruto shot back with a dunk of his own.

This was quickly followed with Aomine performing a between-the-legs dunk, with Naruto responding with a windmill-style dunk. It sort of reminded Naruto of his match against Kise, only Aomine wasn't copying him at every turn.

'Oi, oi, slow down for a second!' Imayoshi thought with heavy amounts of sweat pouring down his face. He was only barely able to keep up, and that was being generous. But the two behemoths on the court didn't look like they were close to being finished.

This was shown by Aomine who was on the attack again with only Naruto on defense. The blond kept his defense close and didn't allow Aomine to get into a favorable shooting position like before. But instead of succumbing to the pressure Naruto was putting out, Aomine performed a quick spin in place at the very edge of the court right before going out of bounds, shooting the ball from behind the hoop.

There was a tense moment for all those watching, but to Aomine the situation was already decided.

The ball went in, no problem.

Naruto glared at the taller player. "Annoying little…..."

Aomine smirked. "A game is no fun unless you win. And that's exactly what I'm going to do!"

This was able to fully break the audience from the earlier spell and caused them to cheer harder than before.

"It's a total back-and-forth!"

"There's nothing to stop those two anymore!"

"Who's going to break down first!?"

Riko didn't pay too much attention to the comments flying around but had to admit that she had similar questions. Half of the quarter was almost up, and Naruto and Aomine were evenly matched. At this rate, it would be Kaijō who would win this game. Tōō had to know this, so why weren't they changing their strategy? Leaving this to Aomine alone was just…..

'No, they have no choice but to do this.'

There was no one else who could possibly stop Naruto. They were betting on Aomine to give them a window of opportunity, however small, to come back and win the game. But still, Riko wasn't sure if it was going to be that easy.

"The game is stuck on an even flow," Kiyoshi remarked, dead serious. "Getting out from such a flow is never easy. However, in this case, it won't take much to break it."

Riko knew what he was talking about. It was just like she had said earlier. Naruto or Aomine…...whoever broke first would spell defeat for their team. Even so, with this pace…...was that even an option anymore?

'Heh, we already knew this would happen,' Imayoshi thought with a small hidden grin. 'Kise or Uzumaki. It didn't matter which. It was just a matter of when.'

There was no denying it. The Generation of Miracles were frightening.

"I'm not done yet!" Aomine was grinning as he performed another dunk right through Naruto.

Naruto paid him back with the same move, swatting Aomine's hand to the side as he plowed the ball right through the net.

"They're unstoppable!"

"Their dunks are out of this world!"

Just like Riko, Momoi wasn't giving much thought to the shouts around her. Unlike everyone else present, she was more mesmerized by a different spectacle entirely. It was Aomine, her best friend from childhood. That grin, that look in his eyes. Momoi had forgotten the last time she had seen him like this. He looked like he was having fun. Like he was enjoying basketball again. It moved her heart, to the point that her eyes started to water.

"Aomine-kun….."

This was exactly what Momoi had been wanting to see from Aomine all this time. For him to have fun, to return back to his normal self. It was a small change, but Momoi knew that he was taking a step in that direction. But it wasn't because of Kuroko like she had thought. No, it was because of Uzumaki Naruto, the same mysterious player that had appeared out of thin air.

Momoi couldn't place into words just how incredible that was to her.

"AARGH!" Aomine let out a shout of determination as he he shot to the air again with Naruto right on his heels. He aimed for the basket but stopped when he saw Naruto blocking his path. Unlike before, the blond was able to keep up this time. This wasn't a good sign, but Aomine ignored it for now and pushed his body further and quickly spun in the air to dunk from the other side of the basket. This only drained what little remained of energy even more, and he could feel his legs start to wobble as he landed on the floor of the court.

'This can't be it…...'

He could already feel himself at the very deep end of the Zone. He had touched the bottom, but it still wasn't enough for him. Naruto was still keeping up just fine. Aomine knew why of course. It was his lack of training. His body wasn't used to being in the Zone for this long. His stamina was depleted. He had already long since surpassed his limit. It was only willpower that was keeping him going by this point. There was just no way that he was going to give in before Naruto did, though. That would never happen. Aomine would rather drop dead than let that come to pass.

Naruto was having his own set of problems. Like with Aomine, he was at the limit of his Zone. No, he had already reached that point a while back. It was only thanks to his immense stamina that he was able to stay in the Zone for as long as he had, but even that wasn't enough anymore. Unlike Aomine, he didn't have enough experience with the Zone to maintain it for very long.

'I'm not going to let it end like this, though.'

If he was going down, then Naruto would make sure to do so with style.

It didn't take long for the two boys to face off once more as the next play started. Kasamatsu didn't hesitate to hand the ball to Naruto who was like a speeding train, his one destination being the hoop.

A determined Aomine halted his advances for a moment. 'I'm going to stop you, even if it's the last thing I do!'

'I'm going through!' Naruto started to charge forward but stopped again when Aomine cut him off. Acting quickly, Naruto did a turnaround that put Kasamatsu's to shame, much to the captain's amazement.

With this new position, Naruto was set to try and shoot a Formless Shot again but stopped himself when Aomine appeared before him again to stop the shot.

It was clear that Aomine was going all out. He was going to do everything in his power to make sure that Naruto didn't make this play. It was the moment of truth for the two of them. They both knew that they were on the brink of exhaustion. Neither could remain in the Zone after this.

'So what are you going to do, Uzumakicchi?' Kise thought, his eyes reading the movement of both boys with caution.

For most, it seemed like Naruto was going to try and make the shot even with Aomine in the way. That would certainly spell defeat for him, though.

Which is why Naruto didn't bother with that and, in a showing of his amazing reaction time, brought the ball back down and did a high-speed crossover that made the others all do a double-take to make sure their eyes weren't playing tricks on them.

'T'ch, but he was set to shoot!' Wakamatsu was sure of it. The blond had his hand out and everything! But despite that, Naruto was still able to react accordingly to Aomine's presence!?

'There really is no doubt about it,' a wide-eyed Momoi thought, hugging her clipboard closer. 'He's just like one of them…..'

With his successful fake, Naruto did an actual for the basket this time and went for another dunk with everyone on Kaijō cheering for him. But as proven time and time again, it was never that simple.

With speed greater than any other time in the game, Aomine was in the air alongside the blond, looking ready to intercept the ball before it had a chance to go in. He had managed to drop down and then jump again and still catch up to Naruto.

It was incredible.

'No!' Yuki stood up from her seat without realizing it. How could she not? From the way it was looking, Naruto was going to lose this face-off. And if he did, Kaijō's victory could go with it.

"I'm stopping you!" Aomine declared as his fingers started to touch the ball, ready to swat it away.

The electric hue around Naruto's eyes increased as the blond released a determined shout. He had already promised to defend his rightful place, should he ever find it. Well, he had. It was Kaijō, with Yuki and Kise, and all the others.

Losing here…...to someone like Aomine…...he wasn't going to allow that to happen.

Aomine caught a glimpse of it, of Naruto's synchronization with the Zone increasing. For someone who was in the Zone for the first time, that should have been impossible.

But those thoughts vanished when he was pushed back as Naruto managed to dunk right past him. That alone would have been frustrating, but it didn't stop there as Naruto managed to shatter the entire backboard with his dunk. For a second, it looked like the whole goal might come crashing down as it shook before it stabilized.

The whole room went silent after the display. This was supposed to be high school basketball. Stuff like this was only meant to happen in the NBA or higher level leagues.

But this was just…..

'What the fuck?' Wakamatsu had to curse at what he just saw.

The referee was able to come out of his stupor first, just long enough to blow on his whistle.

The game had to take an unexpected break.

* * *

"T-That's just crazy, dude." It was Fukuda who said this, staring down at the remains of the backboard that Naruto had decimated with his dunk. Some of the officials and workers for the tournament were in the middle of cleaning the mess and setting up a new hoop before the game could continue.

"I mean, w-who does that!?"

Hyūga couldn't argue. "I've seen videos of NBA players being able to do stuff like that before. But a high school student? What kind of monster is he?"

Kuroko had seen something similar before. But it was by someone who was much taller and actually looked like a total behemoth. But Naruto? Kuroko never would have guessed it unless he saw it with his own eyes.

'Shit.' Kagami was cursing as his frustrations grew. It wasn't that Naruto was fast. He was strong too. Totally stronger than him, and possibly Aomine too. Having that combination just wasn't fair.

"Ahahaha, I didn't think I can feel anymore despair, but here we are," a depressed Koganei said, his head low. "It's like we're ants or something."

Kagami wanted to argue but stopped himself. Talking wouldn't prove anything anyway. No, he could save his frustrations for later. Right now, watching the match till the end was his only concern.

He wouldn't forget this, though.

* * *

"Oh my, I didn't think we would be seeing something like that. How fun."

Hiroji looked at his boss with a wary gaze. "U-Um, are you not shocked by this?"

Seeing Naruto completely shatter the backboard was enough to make the man feel uneasy if he was being honest. That kind of physical strength was kind of scary.

Michiko tilted her head while she snapped another picture. "Hm? Why should it?"

"I-It's not normal?"

"My son is totally normal, though."

T-That…..that wasn't the point here.

"I just knew he was going to be good when he told he wanted to play!" Michiko changed the topic as her eyes sparkled. "He's even stronger than I thought. No wonder he wanted to play! I feel like I'm the luckiest mother right now."

Hiroji wanted to tell her that there were many wrong things about her statement just now but decided it wasn't worth it in the end. He wasn't going to try and rain on her parade anymore. Not when she looked this happy.

Eiji felt shock similar to Hiroji's this time. He too couldn't believe that Naruto was this powerful. But at the same time, he felt a little proud too. He didn't know why exactly.

'Maybe because he's my future son-in-law…..'

Hmm. He still wanted to strangle the blond at that thought, but the urge wasn't as strong as before.

How peculiar.

Maybe it was because he was seeing a different side of the Uzumaki that wasn't usually present?

He didn't know, but it was still fun to speculate.

* * *

If there was anyone in the world who wasn't shocked by Naruto's showing just now, it was Yuki. The girl looked the same as always as she handed the blond another water bottle. She had long since come to terms with Naruto's power. If anything surprised her it was that it had taken him this long to bring it out.

'He must have been holding it back…...'

Yuki didn't know if it was because he was afraid, but she was certain that was the case. It was different now, though. She admitted to not knowing much about the Zone, but from what little she could grasp it was not a state one was able to achieve if they had any doubts about themselves.

"You seriously scare me sometimes." Despite his words, Moriyama was his usual laid back self as he enjoyed the few lemon slices that were left. "I had no idea you could do that."

"I surprised myself a little too." Naruto looked a bit sheepish. "I might have overdone it too. Cause, ya know….."

The others quickly understood.

"You wasted the last of your energy in the Zone for _that_?" Nakamura sounded disappointed. "I know you probably wanted to send a message, but I think there was still a better way."

"I disagree!"

Of course he did.

"We c(a)n still w(i) t(h)is!" Even though he hadn't been in the game at all, Hayakawa was still there to support the others with his enthusiasm. Naruto really liked that about him, even if every other word that came out of his mouth was gibberish.

Kasamatsu sighed. "Idiot, you really should have thought it through." He then grinned. "Can't say I blame you, though. I'm sure that'll make them extra cautious for the rest of the game."

"Yeah, but I'm totally spent," Naruto admitted. "I can't enter the Zone anymore."

He really wanted to keep going, but he knew it wasn't going to happen. His only condolence was the fact that he was sure that Aomine was in the same state as him.

"Aww, don't break my heart." Kise slung his arm around his fellow blond. "Unlike you, I was busted like two minutes in. How's that fair?"

"I'm just better than you."

"Why are you always so mean to me!?"

Yuki giggled at their antics. It was great to see that they were their usual selves, even in a serious situation.

"Yes, well, message or not, this still leaves us with a problem," Takeuchi said. This made all the players look at him. "With both Kise and Uzumaki unable to enter the Zone, we'll have to find another way to secure our victory."

Naruto grinned. "That's real easy, coach."

The man raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"There's only one thing we need to do now."

And with it, Naruto was sure they would win here today.

* * *

'Hahahaha, I'm in real trouble.'

Even though he sounded really happy, Aomine looked like he was on death's door. It was the first time in a long while since he had felt this tired. His vision was starting to get blurry, and he wanted nothing more than to just take a nap. Or better yet, sleep for a whole day. That's how tired he felt. It was the price to be paid for overextending his Zone as long as he had.

Aomine was still happy, though. No, it was more than happiness. He was excited. He was actually enjoying a game for once. When was the last time he had felt this way he wondered. Even though the odds were stacked against him, he wasn't unsettled or anything.

He was just happy. Pure and simple. He was reminded of why he started playing basketball on the streets when he was just a little brat. Because of this feeling.

It was glorious.

"Aomine-kun."

The boy looked up. For once, Momoi wasn't yelling at him about a strategy or anything of the sort. Instead, she looked…...happy? Aomine didn't understand. Why would Momoi be happy right now?

"Do you know what you have to do for the last two minutes of the game?"

Aomine took a second to glance at the clock. True enough, there were only two minutes left in the quarter. The last two minutes of the game. They were going to decide the match.

Once again, excitement started to rise from within Aomine.

He grinned. "Of course I do."

There were no complaints from the others. Not this time. They were all resolved to fight till the end.

'That's only a given,' Imayoshi thought as the whistle was blown.

The five players rose from their seats and walked back onto the court with their opponents doing the same.

'We're not ready to be losers just yet.'

* * *

After a new basket was finally set up, the game was allow to resume for its final two minutes. The audience couldn't be happier, as they were prepared to see Naruto and Aomine clash again.

But right away, everyone could tell that this was a different game from before. For one thing, Kise was back on the court again. He was also the one marking Aomine, not Naruto who not stood next to a confused Susa.

"Kise is back?" Kagami looked surprised. He hadn't thought that Kise would return this late in the game.

"It only makes sense," Kiyoshi said in return with his arms crossed. He could notice that Naruto was no longer in the Zone. That meant that Kaijō's ace in the hole, so to speak, was no longer active.

Only they had something else planned?

"Oh, what's this?" Imayoshi, who held the ball, sounded genuinely surprised, but it was hard to tell with him. He enjoyed confusing others, after all. "You're not going to let your wonder boy handle Aomine anymore?"

Kasamatsu didn't respond. He no longer felt like taking the bait, not from this guy. Cooler heads would prevail in situations like this.

Imayoshi took notice of this and frowned. They were up to something. But what could they pull out this late in the game?

Whatever, standing around thinking about it wasn't going to help.

The glasses-wearer looked ready to go on the offensive, but at the last second he suddenly threw the ball for a pass to Sakurai.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Tōō were looking ready to close the point gap. And what better way to do that than with three's?

Sakurai looked more than ready to catch the ball, but that never happened as Naruto intercepted it right before it could reach him.

'What!?'

Sakurai wasn't the only one surprised, as Susa silently cursed.

'He can still move that fast!'

Susa had let his guard down, something which he shouldn't have done. Even if Naruto was longer in the Zone, his natural speed was still not something to take lightly.

And it was his mistake that was going to cost the team.

Naruto charged ahead, but he didn't immediately go for the hoop. It was something that made Imayoshi start to get worried. Wakamatsu on the other hand didn't bother to stop and wonder why Naruto wasn't going on the attack like before. No, he was only focused on stopping the blond.

"You're no longer in Zone, so don't think you can get past me like before!"

"Huh? Like before?" Naruto started to smirk. "I really don't know what you mean."

Wakamatsu was about to curse at him but stopped himself when he saw that Naruto was about to shoot.

"Oh no, you don't!" The center was quick with his reaction and jumped up to try and block the shot. Only it was no shot at all.

Imayoshi realized this and shouted, "Wakamatsu, behind you!"

But it was too late. By the time Wakamatsu was able to turn his head toward the hoop, Kobori was already in the air to catch the pass and make the shot for a perfect alley-oop.

'T'ch, what the hell?' Wakamatsu was left confused. 'Where did he-?'

Naruto pointed at him. "Unlike you guys, we're not afraid to play together. That's our biggest difference."

Wakamatsu's face turned red from anger, looking ready to pop a blood vessel.

Imayoshi's reaction was more calm and collected, but that didn't mean he wasn't any less worried.

'So that's what it is.'

Now that both Naruto and Kise were out of the Zone, they thought they could make up the difference with team play.

How very uninspiring.

"Ha, don't make me laugh, you two." Aomine wasn't afraid to voice his opinion on the matter. "Is this the answer you came up with? How disappointing. You've really started thinking like Tetsu, Kise."

The model grinned a little. "You really underestimate our team, Aominecchi. So let me show you, why you should fear us."

Aomine narrowed his eyes in response.

The ball went live again, and Aomine didn't hesitate taking it for himself. He wasn't going to wait for the others to do something. If they were going to win, then he needed to act now.

Kise quickly blocked his path, and the two stared each other down. Kise still felt exhausted. He hadn't recuperated from the effects of entering the Zone for the first time. But he wasn't going to just sit back and let the others struggle while he did nothing. That wasn't his style.

Aomine dribbled the ball at a normal pace before he started to pick up speed, a sign that he was about to go on the attack. And he would have if his whole body didn't suddenly freeze up for a second or so. It was completely involuntary on his part, but he knew why.

'The after effects of the Zone…..!'

They were hitting him more strongly than Kise since he had pushed himself far longer.

How annoying.

"Heh, what's the matter?" It was almost like Kise was reading his mind. "Feeling tired, Aominecchi?"

Aomine growled. "Don't fuck with me…..."

Losing like this…...there was no way in hell that was happening!

He launched forward, looking to go in with a straightforward drive and leave Kise in the dust. But his moves weren't normal. They were far slower than usual.

'He's…...more sluggish,' Kagami realized, shocked to see Aomine moving like that. It just went against the image he had of the guy.

"That's why you're no good," Kise said softly as he took a massive step back to slam the ball out of Aomine's hands. "Fighting like this…..you won't win!"

Aomine had no time to answer as Kise made off with the ball.

"STOP HIM!" Imayoshi couldn't contain himself this time and shouted at Sakurai and Susa who were the closest.

The two players made to cut off Kise, but instead of allowing this to slow him down Kise merely passed the ball to the now open Moriyama who finished it up with a perfect Unorthodox Shot.

"What…...is this?" Harasawa felt a little stunned after seeing Aomine getting shut down so easily like that. It was more shocking considering Aomine was supposed to be his star player.

"So that's what it comes down to," Izuki said from the audience seats. "Kaijō is exploiting Tōō's biggest weakness."

More specifically, it was only a weakness if you could take advantage of it. While Seirin had been unable to do so, Kaijō didn't seem to have that problem.

And that weakness was that Aomine fought alone.

"They've been using that weakness during the whole game," Kiyoshi said with a shake of his head. "It's only more apparent now because Aomine has reached his limits."

Naruto and Kise had as well, but unlike Aomine they weren't afraid to rely on their teammates. From that angle, Kaijō was the true team here, not Tōō.

"Stop joking around," Aomine glowered, his hands clenching into fists. "Because of something like that, I….."

"I had to learn this the hard way as well," Kise cut in with a resigned grin. "That's why, in Kurokocchi's place, I'll be teaching you that same lesson today."

Aomine could only glare at him.

* * *

Kiyoshi eyed the clock. "There's only one minute left. If Tōō wants a chance at winning the game, then they have to score and stop Kaijō from doing the same."

For once, no one in Seirin thought Tōō was capable of something like that. Was that the power that Kaijō wielded now? Making them doubt the strongest team they faced so far?

'I can't believe this.' Imayoshi was no longer able to keep his cool as he dribbled the ball down the court. He never thought he would see Aomine in this state. Even though his Zone had been countered, Imayoshi had been positive that he would come back from it. But this was just…..

"Hey now, don't be showing that kind of face here," Kasamatsu said as he blocked Imayoshi's path. "It almost makes you look human."

Despite the grave situation, Imayoshi smiled. It was a fake smile of course, but that was beside the point.

"Ouch. And here I thought you were supposed to be better than me."

"I never said I was."

Kasamatsu had a point there.

Putting those trivial details aside, Imayoshi didn't bother to think about the the situation at large and instead sped forward.

'Attacking head-on, huh?' Kasamatsu could get behind such an idea as he blocked Imayoshi's way of attack. This made the glasses-wear stop before attempting to pass to Wakamatsu. But as the ball was leaving his hands, Kasamatsu was able to knock it off its course, much to Imayoshi's surprise.

"What-!"

"You're too rattled," Kasamatsu stated. "Reading your moves now…...it's way too easy."

Imayoshi was startled by that. Had Aomine's regression gotten to him this badly? But why!? And how!?

Those were questions that were left unanswered as Naruto scooped up the now freed ball and took off. Susa appeared to try and stop him but was unable to do much as Naruto spun around him before pressing on.

'This speed…..!' It was annoying, but Susa had to once again come to terms with the fact that he couldn't do anything against the blond.

Naruto was more than ready to dunk the ball again as he jumped for the hoop, but at the last moment Aomine came into the scene and took off in front of him.

"Don't mess with me! Losing like this…..THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!"

Aomine's hand grabbed a hold of the basketball as well, and now it was fight for dominance in the air between him and Naruto.

"Losing to someone like you, who only fights for himself…." Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN!"

The two boys let out determined shouts as they fought for the ball. They were both strong, and they both had the will. But in the end, only one could come on top.

"DO IT, UZUMAKICCHI!"

The shout came from somewhere behind the blond, but Naruto didn't care. He had the strength of everyone else on his back. That's why he was going to protect his team at all costs.

Aomine had to look on in a sudden wave of amazement as Naruto's strength increased again. Was it more power from the Zone? But how could that happen!? He shouldn't be able to enter that realm again! What kind of monster was this guy!?

'Uzumaki…..!'

Aomine fought till the bitter end, but even with his best struggle it wasn't enough as Naruto managed to push right through him and dunk the ball.

This happened just as the final buzzer went off, and Aomine came falling to the floor. He wasn't able to land on his feet this time. He no longer had the strength for it. No, he was left too stunned by the realization that came from the final buzzer.

He had lost.

"GAME OVER!"

As the audience began to cheer once more, those in Seirin were wide-eyed at this outcome. They knew it was a possibility, but still. To see Aomine losing…...

Kuroko looked at the score.

95 to 86.

"N-No way." Furihata was floored. "They actually won, and with a nine point lead….."

Meanwhile, they had never come close to beating Tōō, least of all Aomine.

No one else in Seirin was able to say anything.

Down on the court, things were more vocal as everyone from Kaijō let out victory shouts.

"WE DID IT!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs before Kise and Moriyama tackled him to the floor with Kobori and Kasamatsu both grinning from ear-to-ear. Kasamatsu specially looked like he wanted to cry but held himself back.

Yuki looked on with a bright smile, with some tears managing to get through. She couldn't help it. Not after seeing such a performance.

While they could celebrate, the mood was the exact opposite for the opposing team in Tōō.

"Oi, did we lose?" Wakamatsu asked softly, obviously in disbelief.

Sakurai and Susa were unable to answer him while Imayoshi looked down in disdain. He wanted to hide his tears from everyone.

"We lost….?." Aomine's face was hollow. It almost looked like he was in some kind of trance. He was still down on the floor as well, unable to move. " _I_ lost…..?"

Momoi had even less restraint than Yuki and openly cried. It wasn't from sadness, though. It was more…...like relief? Yes, it was something along those lines. It was certainly a strange emotion to have at a time like this, but it couldn't be helped. She certainly couldn't it. For she knew that Aomine could finally be free again.

"Oi, why are you looking like that?"

Aomine found a hand stretched before him. Looking up, he saw that it belonged to Naruto who stood over him with Kise next to him.

"Why do you look so lost? Can't you see what's happening?"

"That might be a little too straightforward, Uzumakicchi…..."

Naruto didn't care.

Aomine looked at the two of them. "What are you-"

"Just get your ass up." Naruto didn't wait for Aomine to take his hand and instead just pulled the boy back up to his feet. "It's not like this is the end for us, right? We still have a lot more basketball to play in the future."

"Mhmm, I agree!" Kise smiled. "We can play again, Aominecchi."

"Again…..?" Aomine looked baffled for a few moments before scoffing as he took a few steps back. "Don't get ahead of yourselves. Just because you won now, it doesn't mean that you'll win the next time."

Naruto smirked. "Ha, that's the spirit I like to see. But we'll still kick your ass again."

Aomine _really_ wanted to punch him right now.

"T'ch, son of a bitch."

He grumbled but paused when he found Naruto placing his fist in between them.

"What is this?"

"Let's play again," Naruto said, only his voice was softer this time. "It was a fun game. That's why we should play again."

Despite Aomine's initial impulse to decline, he found himself bumping fists with the blond.

"Yeah, I'll take you up on that.

Kise was all smiles and chuckles when he saw this. You could even say he was fanboying. How couldn't he? His new best friend and one of his older friends were getting along. It was the best kind of development as far as he was concerned.

He wasn't the only one thinking that as Momoi and Kuroko both saw this as well.

'Aomine-kun…...' They thought at the same time, one tearful and the other just glad.

The referee blew his whistle again, the ball in hand.

"Both teams, line up!"

There was still a depressive mood in the Tōō lineup as both teams thanked one another, but that couldn't be helped. Losing was never a great thing to experience.

"With a score of 95 to 86, Kaijō High wins! Bow!"

"THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

* * *

"Alright, boys, we can go."

"Huh?" Hiroji was understandably confused when Michiko got up from her seat and started to walk towards the exit. "But Kaga-sama, what about congratulating your son? Isn't that why you came here?"

"Hm? I can smother him later." She looked back to see Naruto in the middle of a team circle, all of them laughing and basking in their victory. She smiled. "Right now, being surrounded by his friends is what's best."

With those words, she turned back to the exit with Eiji following suit.

Hiroji was once again confused but found himself smiling.

'She really is just a caring mother, after all.'

That's the one thing that couldn't be denied.

* * *

When the Seirin team started to vacate the building, their spirits were low and the atmosphere was heavy. No one could fault them for feeling this way, though. Not after what they just saw.

"It's been reaffirmed to us," Kiyoshi said, speaking for the group as they stepped outside into the cold night. "The power of the Generation of Miracles…..."

They were monsters of the highest caliber. There was no denying that.

"And we have to face them again this winter." Hyūga let out a dry chuckle. "It's so funny, I could almost die of laughter."

Riko sighed. "We already knew what we were up against from the very beginning. We can't let ourselves lose hope now. You got that?"

"Of course, we'll make sure to win." Despite his previous statement, Hyūga looked as determined as ever. There was no room for doubt. Not against _them_.

Even so, the difference in their power was still far too great. They needed to get stronger. That too was something that could not be denied.

"We have to train more," Furihata said with a nod. "Good thing we still have the rest of the summer. What do you think, Kuroko?"

He expected an answer, but there was only silence. It was then that the group realized that Kuroko was no longer with them.

"Not again!" Hyūga cried out, not in the mood to go on another Kuroko hunt.

"Hey, wait a second." Tsuchida took another quick look at the group. "Kagami isn't here either!"

What the hell, _both_ of them had disappeared!?

"Those two." Riko raised her fist as a dark aura took shape around her. "When I get my hands on them, they'll wish they were never born!"

Even by Riko standards, that was harsh!

* * *

When Kagami followed Kuroko, he didn't expect to find him attempting to make shots at a nearby street court. But maybe he should have, after the amazing game they just witnessed.

"You still suck at shooting."

Kuroko stopped mid-shot before turning to Kagami.

"Kagami-kun, I didn't think you would follow me."

"Heh, if I left you alone, you might get into another bothersome situation."

That had only happened _one_ time. And in the end, the two of them plus Kise had been able to play together. Kuroko would call that a win.

Kagami then shot him a smirk. "I guess your blood must be pumping."

"I am excited, yes."

"Then you can imagine how I'm feeling right now."

Kuroko could indeed.

"Their plays have the power to do that to people. It's been that way since middle school. I guess Uzumaki-kun is no different."

'That guy…...' Kagami nearly scowled at the mention of Naruto's name. He never would have imagined that he was stronger than Aomine. But now, he was certain. In order to compete against those two and the other Generation of Miracles, only one path was certain.

Good old America.

Kuroko looked down in thought. "From here on out, Uzumaki-kun will have to fight them in the tournament as well…..."

Kagami frowned. That reminded him of something he was curious about.

"There are two other members of the Generation of Miracles, right? What are they like?"

"I couldn't say anymore," Kuroko answered honestly. "Kise-kun, Midorima-kun, and Aomine-kun have all changed drastically. I can only guess the other two are the same way."

They were probably stronger than ever. Which was also frightening to think about.

"Heh, that just sounds like more fun to me." Kagami smirked, his blood pumping more at the thought of all the competition they were going to have during the winter. He couldn't wait for that day to arrive, the day when he would face them.

Kuroko felt a similar excitement. In the end, there was only one goal in sight for the two boys.

To be the best in Japan, no matter what.

* * *

"Aw, jeez! Why do you always have to wander off on your own like this! It's always a pain to have to look out for you!"

Momoi's face displayed her annoyance as she ran up to Aomine after searching for almost ten minutes. It was totally unfair that she had to go through this sort of stuff simply because he felt like being random or lazy.

Aomine let out a small grunt in response. He was lying down at the top of the stairs outside the building. From this vantage point, the night breeze was the best. It was perfect for a long nap. He would probably get sick from it, but it would be totally worth it.

"Come on, let's go." Momoi wasn't going to let him do that, though. "Let's get back to the others before they leave us behind."

Now that would just suck.

"Satsuki."

The girl paused. "Hm?"

"Are you free tomorrow?"

"Oh. Um, yes?" They were in summer vacation, so of course Momoi had a lot of free time on her hands. Especially now since they were no longer competing in the Inter-High.

"I need new shoes for practice. Will you come help me look for a pair?"

Momoi's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"I gotta make sure to kick Uzumaki's ass next time. That's why I need to train. So that I can be as ready as I can."

Of all the…...

A heartfelt smile started to appear on Momoi's face.

"Of course I can help you, Dai-chan. But you gotta make sure to buy me dinner first."

"How does that work!?"

"Hehehe, it just does~"

Who was being unfair now!?

* * *

Yuki opened the door to their locker room to find Naruto still inside, his back to the door.

Strange.

"Naruto-kun? Why are you still in here? You know the others are already leaving, right?"

The only reason she had come back was because she had forgotten one of her containers inside. Leaving trash like that was rude, something she wasn't about to let happen.

"Ah, Yuki." Almost like he was snapping out of a daze, Naruto turned to her with an awkward chuckle. "I didn't think anyone would be coming back."

Suspicion began to fall over her. "What does that mean? What are you doing in here?"

"Nothing…..."

The look on her face made it clear that she wasn't buying it.

"Jeez, why are you such a good interrogator?"

"Maybe you just suck at lying."

Naruto resented that. But with a sigh, he relented. Convincing her to let the matter go would never happen.

"I was just thinking back to when I first saw this massive world that I was now a part of. And how boring it felt. And lonely."

Yuki's eyes softened. "You know you don't have to worry about that stuff anymore, right?"

"Yeah, but it's still on my mind. It makes me feel like such an idiot." Naruto shook his head. "I can't believe I let myself be stuck in that kind of mentality."

Yuki walked closer to him. "Sometimes, you can't help but feel helpless. Especially in a situation like yours, I can't say I blame you for feeling the way you did."

That said, Yuki was glad that he was able to snap out of it. She would never want to see Naruto in that mental state again. And thankfully, she was sure that she never would. Not with Kise and the others now here.

"Yeah, you're right. And it's thanks to you."

"That's not-"

"But it is." Naruto was firm as he grabbed her hand with his. "I probably would have ended up a lot worse if you weren't around. Even if you don't think so, your words did inspire me. 'Everyone has a place in the world.' I used to think it was nonsense, but I'm glad I was proven wrong."

Yuki didn't mind holding hands with the blond. It was a comfortable feeling for her, especially since Naruto always felt warm to her. It was like that warmth could spread to her. It was hard to describe, but it was almost like he was a miniature sun sometimes.

"I still think you're giving me too much credit," she said with her cheeks reddening a little. "You're strong as well, Naruto-kun. If you weren't, you could never have made it through all of that. That's not something I gave you."

She wasn't going to accept his thanks, was she? Stubborn girl. But Naruto had always enjoyed that side of her as well.

Maybe it was a "heat of the moment" type of situation, or maybe it was because he was finally expressing how much he valued Yuki being in his life. Or maybe it was a combination of the two. Who knows. Naruto sure didn't. But in that moment there was no denying the spark that was set off between the two.

Yuki saw it coming, but she didn't fight it. Because it's something she had been wanting to do for sometime now but never had the courage to initiate. Not when it's with the denser than a rock Uzumaki Naruto.

But even as dense as he was, Naruto still leaned down for a kiss that only set off more sparks between them. It was their first kiss, and in a smelly locker room…..not exactly the most romantic of places, but Yuki wasn't going to complain.

Now if only they had noticed Kise walking in only to step right out the moment he saw what was happening inside. He did give Naruto a thumbs up in his mind as he walked away, though.

'Go for it, Uzumakicchi!'

He was rooting for them both!

* * *

"Heh, now this is interesting."

A certain redhead had arrived at the last minutes of the final quarter on a whim, to see if anything worthwhile would take place.

And he was glad that he did. Because now he knew that the finals were going to be far more interesting than he originally imagined.

He couldn't wait.

* * *

 **I have finally done it. The first official game has been completed. Whew, I feel proud. But of course, this is only the beginning. The next match is soon to begin. So look forward to that.**

 **I had no idea that so many people would like Yuki. I'm glad for the reception she's gotten. Hopefully you enjoyed the final scene with her. It honestly felt right to do it now, so I went with it.**

 **I think that's all from me this time. I would like to thank everyone who's reviewed and favored this. I didn't think so many people would, but your kind words do motivate me to keep writing more.**

 **Till next time.**


	10. Do you enjoy Basketball?

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9:  
** **Do you enjoy Basketball?**

How was one meant to act after receiving their first kiss? Play it cool and act like everything was the same? Talk about it? Don't talk about it? Yuki really didn't know. She only knew that she wouldn't stop blushing, even after leaving the locker room with Naruto. Nor would her heart stop beating so hard. It felt like it was going to burst out of her chest any moment now.

The blond next to her was the exact opposite, looking the same as always. His clam demeanor was really ticking her off. Why wasn't he as embarrassed as she was? It was a big moment for both of them! She was sure it was his first kiss too, so there was no reason for him to not be embarrassed.

Or was she the one who was overreacting?

'I really don't have any experience with this.'

It was the embarrassing truth, but it also made Yuki happy. She was able to have her first experience with Naruto, so it wasn't all bad. Right?

Right.

"There you two are!"

The pair were greeted by the rest of the team waiting for them outside of the building. Only the coach was missing. Probably went back to the hotel to celebrate or something.

That, or get out of that suit. It really did not _suit_ him. Ahahaha, puns. So great.

…...okay, moving on.

Moriyama glared at Naruto. "Spending time alone with Sugawara-chan in the locker room, were you? Don't think you can get anything past me, Uzumaki!"

Yuki buried her head in her hands, blushing further. "D-Don't say it like that!"

It wasn't like he was _wrong_ , but she didn't want the others to know about their kiss. Not yet. It was far too embarrassing. Her poor heart couldn't take it.

Kise threw her a smirk. "Oh, I think it's accurate. After all, you and Uzumakicchi were-oof!"

"Oh-ahahaha! Come over here, Kise-san! There is _something_ I need to share with you!"

The others all watched and sweatdropped as Yuki delivered a sharp blow to Kise's side, knocking the wind out of the model before dragging him to the side by the ear.

Who knew Yuki could be so tough?

"What's everyone doing out here anyway?" Naruto let out a yawn, quickly forgetting about Kise and his many cries of pain. "Shouldn't we be heading back to the hotel?"

Kasamatsu sighed. "Idiot. We just won a hard-fought battle. Do you really think we shouldn't be celebrating right now?"

His words lacked their usual bite. He was just as happy as the others were to have won against Aomine and Tōō. He was just doing a better job at hiding it.

"You say that, but it's not like we have that much money for a celebration." Kobori was sensible enough to point out the big flaw in their night getaway. Without money, there really wasn't anything for them to do.

"That's no problem." Kasamatsu didn't look concerned at all. "Kise can pay for us."

"What did you say, captain!" Kise was able to slip from Yuki's striking range long enough to complain. "Just how much do you think I get paid anyway!?"

He couldn't pay for the whole team dammit!

"Enough."

So inconsiderate!

"And anyway, I'm not the rich kid here!" Kise was quick to point the finger to Naruto, who was picking his ear with disinterest. "Uzumakicchi is the one who's loaded!"

"Say what?" Moriyama looked at Naruto. "You're rich?"

"Eh." Naruto shrugged. "Sort of."

It wasn't _his_ money, but his mother's. He couldn't claim he owned all that.

"That's a cop out!" Kise pouted. "I saw your house. It's practically a mansion!"

"T'ch, so the bastard has money and the girl." Moriyama nearly spit in Naruto's direction. "How more unfair can the world get?"

Naruto ignored his petty complaints.

"But if that's the case, then Uzumaki can cover for us!" Kasamatsu said, his mood lifted again.

"But I-"

"There's no need to worry, Naruto-kun." Yuki quickly pulled out a credit card from her pocket. "Kaga-sama gave me this in case of emergencies."

And while it wasn't _technically_ an emergency, it was close enough.

Naruto deadpanned. "Why do you have that? I thought my credit card was gone forever."

His mother had taken his credit card from him after he had bought too many ramen cups with it. Nearly enough to fill his room. It was heavenly, but apparently also very unhealthy for him. That's what they claimed anyway. It was going to cause him "problems," his mother said. And Yuki even agreed with her!

Dictators, the both of them. As if ramen could ever betray him.

"Unlike you, I can be responsible with money." Yuki stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm not going to spend it all on ramen."

"Hold your tongue!"

Ramen was to be respected!

Kise looked on in disappointment. "Uzumakicchi…..we really need to talk about this ramen problem of yours."

Problem? What problem? The only problem Naruto saw was people trying to keep him _away_ from the most wonderful food on this planet. Yes, yes. That's what it was.

Delusion at its finest.

"I don't really get it," Nakamura said. "Why do you have Uzumaki's credit card?"

Nakamura really didn't understand the relationship between Naruto and Yuki. Even if they were dating, they seemed far closer than that. And it was weird.

"It's only natural." Yuki smiled and placed a hand over her chest. "I'm his maid, so of course I'm going to look after him."

This revelation was met with silence from the others, all staring at Naruto and Yuki like they were from another planet.

That is, until Moriyama sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank god. It all makes sense now. There's no way a nice girl like Sugawara-chan would hang around a punk like Uzumaki unless she had to."

This really made him happy. His whole night had been improved by this single piece of information.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "I really want to kick your ass right now."

"T(h)ere sh(o)uld be n(o) fig(h)tin(g) a(m)ong (f)rie(n)ds!" And of course, Hayakawa had to chime in with a statement no one could understand.

But it was still appreciated.

Kise smirked. "I wouldn't say that if I were you, senpai. After all, Uzumakicchi and Sugawaracchi were-oof!"

"It seems we need to _talk_ again, Kise-san!"

There was another round of sweatdrops as Yuki delivered a sharp blow to Kise's stomach, once again knocking the wind out of him.

'She's gotten even more violent, hasn't she?' they all thought to themselves.

They all made a mental note to watch out for Yuki from now on.

* * *

The seven players and one girl found themselves a comfy looking restaurant not far from where they had played their game. It was in the direction of their hotel too, so that was a plus.

They were all looking ready to enjoy their celebratory meal as they stepped inside. But immediately, they froze when they saw who was already inside the restaurant.

Imayoshi blinked from where he sat before a smile broke out on his face. "Well, isn't this a surprise. If it isn't Kaijō! Fancy meeting you here."

That's right. It was the players from Tōō. Even Aomine was there, the boy twitching in annoyance when he and Naruto locked gazes with one another.

"Uzumaki."

Naruto twitched as well. "Aomine….."

Kise was more forthcoming, smiling widely. "Aominecchi! So you're here too, huh?"

Momoi was in the same high spirits as the model. "Ki-chan, Ki-kun!"

Wait, Ki-kun?

Naruto pointed at himself. "Are you referring to me?"

"Obviously."

Naruto's shoulders dropped. "What kind of nickname is that?"

It was easy to figure out. Uzumaki…. _ki_ , thus "Ki-kun."

Kise turned sheepish. "You might as well just accept it, Uzumakicchi. Once she gives you a nickname, she won't change it."

Like he was one to talk.

"Come on, we should all eat together!" Momoi suggested. She and Aomine were eating alone in one table, so they had plenty of room.

"Say what now?" Aomine and Naruto spoke at the same time, paused, looked at one another, and then glared.

They were not going to get along so easily.

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Don't act like a child."

Momoi huffed. "You too, Dai-chan. Calm down."

Despite their protests, Naruto and Aomine were practically vetoed and made to sit at the same table. Kise was more than happy to follow along with the girls' idea. To him, this was the best setup.

He was laid back like that.

The others in Kaijō joined the rest of the Tōō players, much to Imayoshi's amusement.

"Ahahaha, the world is a funny place, isn't it? We were enemies just an hour ago and now here we are. Eating like the best of friends."

"I wouldn't go that far," Kasamatsu said. He wasn't exactly fond of the glasses-wearer, but he could be polite at least.

"The match is over now. No reason for further hostilities." Imayoshi raised his drink. "We'll make sure to cheer you on. I get the feeling you'll need it."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, I'm sure you know. If you win in the semifinals, you'll be in for a tough time."

It was just as Imayoshi said. They might have cleared one huge obstacle, but another remained.

"Hm."

"We can worry about that later I say." Moriyama picked up one of the menus. "We should eat and order the most expensive stuff here. That way, Uzumaki will be drained dry. Hehehehe."

Kobori sighed and shook his head. "You really need to let it go."

Yuki was cute, but this was ridiculous.

"I won't."

Moriyama could be petty like that. No shame. No shame at all.

Wakamatsu looked over to Aomine's table and almost grimaced by what he was seeing.

"Things are intense over there….."

Imayoshi looked over as well, another smile forming on his face.

"Heh, it's not everyday you see a group like that together, hm?"

Sure enough, things were getting pretty heated at Naruto's table. It was mostly because of said blond and Aomine, the two looking very uncomfortable with this seating arrangement while Yuki, Momoi, and Kise were all smiles.

"I'm Momoi Satsuki, it's nice to finally formally meet you!"

Formally, she said.

Yuki beamed. "Sugawara Yuki. The pleasure is all mine."

The two girls shook hands, both expressing nothing but joy at the moment.

It was like the meeting between two high-level beings. Just about all the boys in both teams could see a radiance coming from the two of them, and it was glorious.

Moriyama whimpered, looking ready to cry.

"I-It's beautiful. So beautiful. I'm glad I was born for this moment."

Kobori no longer had the strength to correct him.

"C-Ca(l)m down, M(o)riyam(a)-san! (T)here i(s) no ne(e)d to c(r)y!"

"I'm surrounded by idiots," Nakamura muttered in disdain, his head low.

Kasamatsu looked like he wanted to kick someone, but he held himself back. Tonight was all about celebrating! He could punish the idiots later.

"T'ch, so loud." Aomine glanced back to where the others were. It was weird for him to see both teams getting along like this. Like Imayoshi had pointed out, they had been at each other's throats just an hour ago. And now, they were eating together like none of that had happened.

"Stop looking so grumpy, Dai-chan." Momoi poked her childhood friend on the side. "The match is over. No reason to think about it anymore."

"Shut up." Aomine grumbled as he played around with his food, no longer feeling hungry. He and everyone else at Tōō had already gotten their orders. "I just lost to them. You can't expect me to get over it just like that."

"But yesterday's enemies are today's friends!" Momoi replied, clapping her hands.

'It hasn't even been a day yet.' Aomine wanted to say this, but he kept it to himself.

"Now, now. It doesn't really matter anymore." Kise looked at Aomine. "I know losing can be frustrating, but it's just as Momocchi said. The match is over. We can all get along, right?"

"T'ch, you're all so soft." Aomine frowned. "Especially you, Kise."

"Hm, really?" Kise only smiled at him. "I think Midorimacchi said the same thing to me, but I don't really see myself as any different." He then paused. "But I guess if I had to agree, then I would say that I enjoy playing basketball with the others now. Not just by himself."

Aomine's eyes narrowed. Those words. They were the same as Kuroko's.

"Man, you guys are always going on about such depressing crap. Are you sure you're high school students?" Naruto leaned back in his seat as Yuki slapped him on the shoulder.

"Naruto-kun, manners."

The blond shrugged. "I'm just saying. You guys think too much. You love basketball, right? Then what else matters?"

If playing excited them, then keep playing. Why bother worrying about anything else?

Momoi was amused. "You have a very simplistic view of things, don't you?"

"Basically."

And he was damn proud of it.

Yuki sighed. "I apologize on his behalf. Naruto-kun can be…..blunt."

"Oh, there's no reason to do that." Momoi waved her off and smiled. "It's Dai-chan who's being stubborn for no reason. No matter how many times I correct him, his poor manners never change."

"I get what you mean." A tired look appeared on Yuki's face. "I've been trying to correct Naruto-kun's poor habits for a long time, but he never listens!"

"Stubborn men, right?"

"Yes, I totally agree."

Momoi gained a teary-eyed expression. "I'm glad someone finally understands my pain."

Yuki had a similar expression. "I feel the same way, Momoi-san!"

If a table wasn't between them, the two girls would be hugging each other for comfort right about now.

Kise whistled. "Woah. They're bonding over how terrible the two of you are. That's sort of impressive."

Both Naruto and Aomine grumbled, but only to themselves. They didn't want to give the girls more ammunition than what they already had. It would just be annoying.

A waiter soon came to take their orders. Momoi and Aomine only got a refill on their drinks. They were already full from their initial orders.

"Are you going to stick around?" Yuki asked after the waiter left.

Momoi nodded. "Yep. We want to see how the Inter-High ends. Other than Ki-chan, we have two other friends left in the tournament. So the last few matches will be very interesting for us."

Naruto perked up at this. "Two other friends?"

That could only mean one thing.

Kise suddenly laughed, only it seemed a bit forced and hollow. "Ahahaha, that's right. You still haven't met them, Uzumakicchi. The last two players in the Generation of Miracles."

"I know who you're talking about." Yuki had done her best to memorize the names of the other Generation of Miracles, and what teams they were in. "You're talking about Murasakibara Atsushi-san and Akashi Seijūrō-san, correct?"

Kise nodded. "Yeah. The former center and captain for the Generation of Miracles."

Oh? Well then.

"Heh, I'm guessing they're strong."

Kise shot Naruto a small grin. "You don't know the half of it."

That worked well for Naruto then. The more competition, the better.

"None of us have seen them since middle school," Momoi said, looking down by this fact. "We have no idea how strong they are now, but they must have changed since then."

Seeing Momoi's dejected look reminded Naruto of the story Kise had told him and Yuki, of how things had ended among the Generation of Miracles. While he still didn't have the full story, it was obvious that things hadn't gone so well for them.

Aomine was a good example of this.

Not that it changed much in Naruto's mind. His objective was still the same. To win, plain and simple.

"So which of them are we playing against first?"

Yuki held herself back from slapping Naruto again. "You idiot, you didn't read the schedule, did you!?"

"We've been over this…..."

Urgh, he made her so frustrated sometimes.

Momoi almost cried. Whether it was from joy or pain, she didn't know. But seeing Yuki like this was like staring at a mirror for her. All that pain, all that misery.

She pouted. "Dai-chan, you idiot."

"What the hell?" Aomine had no idea what she was accusing him of this time. He hadn't even said anything for a while!

Kise merely shook his head at this. His two friends could be such idiots sometimes.

"We're not facing either of them yet," Yuki began to explain, putting her frustration aside. "It's the opposite. In the semifinals tomorrow, it's Murasakibara-san and Akashi-san who are playing against one another."

What the hell? What kind of bullshit was that?

"Why is the fun always denied to us?" Naruto said, his shoulders sagging in disappointment.

Momoi sweatdropped. "Most people would be glad to know they don't have a strong opponent to go up against."

"He's too much of an idiot for common sense," Yuki said to her, shaking her head in dismay.

"It's called fun, Yuki," Naruto chastised her. "You should try it out once in a while."

"Fun and stupidity don't go together, Naruto-kun."

So she said, but reality said otherwise. It's what made the world go round!

"Hah, you're a funny guy." Aomine rested his cheek on his palm, looking bored as always. "But you know, right. If you lose so quickly after beating me, I'll kick your ass."

"Say what now?"

"Yeah, you can't lose. Not until I get my revenge on you."

So that's how it was.

Naruto grinned. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to beat you again. You have my word."

Kise looked at the girls. "I don't get it. Are they getting along or what?"

"If you don't get it, Kise-san, then there's no way we could…."

Idiots just had their own language it seemed.

"You should be more wary, Ki-kun," Momoi said as she pulled out a notebook from her bag. It was her personal informational diary, where she stored the data of all relevant players. "It's more than likely that you'll be facing Akashi-kun in the finals."

Naruto was curious. "What do you mean? Are you saying this Murasakibara guy is weak?"

"It's the opposite, Uzumakicchi." Kise's face was dead serious. "Murasakibaracchi challenged Akashicchi in the past…..and he lost. It was a one sided victory."

"More like a one-sided beat down." Aomine had heard about that one-on-one. It was the only reason Murasakibara bothered to listen to Akashi for the rest of their time in Teikō. It was also the day Akashi had "changed."

Not that Aomine cared much for that last part.

Yuki frowned. "Are you saying Akashi-san is that much stronger than the rest of you?"

If so, that was terrifying to think about.

"Hell no." Aomine scowled. "I could have beaten him."

"You don't know that, Dai-chan."

"Shut it, Satsuki."

Their friendship was weird.

"Well, they're both strong." Kise thought about it for a second. "I wouldn't say it's out of the ream of possibility for Murasakibaracchi to pull a win."

It wasn't just Akashi that had gotten stronger. Murasakibara must have as well. That's why tomorrow's match was sure to be interesting.

"It's not as straightforward as that, Ki-chan." Momoi shook her head. "It's not only Akashi-kun that you have to worry about when facing him."

"What do you mean?"

"Three other powerful players joined Rakuzan last year. I'm sure you've heard of them. The Uncrowned Kings."

Naruto was the only one who didn't immediately get it. "Uncrowned Kings? What's that?"

He was met with silence for a few seconds, until Aomine broke it.

"How much of an idiot are you?"

Hey! Aomine was the last person to be saying that to him!

Momoi smiled weakly. "You're funny, Ki-kun. How could you not have heard of them? If you play basketball, their names are bound to come up sooner or later."

Probably sooner.

Naruto shrugged. "I've only been playing for a few months, and most of that time was spent trying to get into the Inter-High. So cut me some slack."

Aomine nearly choked on his drink when he heard that. "Say what!? Did you just say you've only been playing for a few months!?"

"Well, yeah?" What was the big deal with that? Naruto pointed to the smiling Kise. "It was this idiot who approached me right before the preliminaries started. Before then, I had never once picked up a basketball."

As far as he could remember anyway.

Kise chuckled. "He's right. He was a total amateur."

"Still beat you."

"It was a tie!"

"Hmm, that would make sense." Momoi hummed in thought. "There's no way a powerful player like you would go unnoticed for this long otherwise. The reason no one knew about you before is because this is your first tournament."

Basically.

Aomine started to laugh at this, only it came off as a bit deranged. Like he had just been told an unbelievable fact that turned his world upside down. Which really, in this instance it wasn't that far from the truth.

"So I lost to a guy who hasn't even been playing for a year. Is that right?"

Yeah, pretty much.

"Fucking hell." Aomine wanted to drop to the floor and die. Losing was bad enough, but to an amateur?

It was beyond embarrassing.

But at the same time, deep within him, this knowledge also made Aomine excited. There really was such a strong opponent out there. One he could go all out against, where he would have to _train_ in order to beat. Because he was sure Naruto hadn't reached his full potential yet. Not when he had just started.

So while losing sucked, it also made him excited to play basketball again. It's exactly what Aomine had been looking for all these years, that drive to move forward.

But he would keep all this to himself. No way he could ever admit to something like that. To let Naruto know he was the reason his flame had been ignited again. Far too embarrassing and mopey for his taste.

"The Uncrowned Kings are five strong players who would have been called the Generation of Miracles if Dai-chan and the others hadn't existed," Momoi explained to Naruto. "They exist in the shadows, you could say. They aren't as strong as anyone from the Generation of Miracles, but that doesn't mean you should underestimate them."

Especially if Akashi was leading them.

"Hmm." Naruto mulled this over. "So there are five of them. Did they all join Rakuzan?"

"No, only three did." Momoi began to smile. "Actually, one of the others returned to Seirin over the summer. They call him the 'Iron Heart.' He's a very strong center from the sounds of it."

It was Kise who smiled weakly this time. "You sure are quick on the update, aren't you?"

He had almost forgotten how terrifying her information gathering skills were.

Momoi giggled, oblivious to Kise's thoughts. "Of course I would know. It's Tetsu-kun's team. It's my job to know, as his girlfriend."

Naruto blinked. "You two are dating?"

He never would have guessed.

Kise and Aomine both grimaced and looked away. They weren't stepping on that landmine.

But anyway, Naruto was more concerned with these so-called Uncrowned Kings. There were three of them at Rakuzan, and they were being led by the former captain of the Generation of Miracles. Four strong players, who could no doubt be the ace for any team.

That sounded like a combo for disaster for anyone who went up against them.

Naruto smirked. 'I can't wait.'

He was getting pumped up again. The only downside was that they couldn't play Rakuzan next. It was going to be Murasakibara versus Akashi first.

'It's not as fun as playing, but watching them go at it won't be bad either.'

He would have to be satisfied with that.

Yuki sighed when she saw the look on Naruto's face.

'Idiot is probably thinking about playing them.'

He was so predictable like that.

But that was part of the reason why Yuki liked him so much.

"T'ch, just make sure to remember what I said." Aomine glared at Naruto. "Don't lose. Not until our rematch."

That was one promise Naruto was going to make sure to keep.

* * *

"I feel like that little celebration turned out to be more exciting than we planned," Kobori mused as the team exited the restaurant.

"We got some useful information out of it." That's all Naruto cared about.

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Information that you should already have known if you only paid attention."

The end result was still the same, so what did it matter?

"Don't get too comfortable yet." Kasamatsu turned to them. "It's true our next match doesn't include anyone from the Generation of Miracles, but that doesn't mean we should let our guard down. No matter who we're up against, we'll give it our all. Understood?"

There were shouts of approval from the others. Even Yuki joined in with a nod, looking determined as she stood beside them.

Their next opponent was Ōnita High. They were no Rakuzan, but it didn't matter. They were going to fight as if they were.

And they were going to win.

* * *

There was still a buzz of excitement in the air the next day. The match between Kaijō and Tōō had been fierce, and people were looking forward to seeing Yōsen High and Rakuzan High deliver a similar game. Why? Because both schools had a member of the Generation of Miracles in them. People were ready to see Murasakibara and Akashi duke it out.

None was as excited as Naruto who woke up early that morning. The game didn't start until the afternoon, but that didn't stop him from waking up early.

Embarrassingly enough, that morning he was greeted by several messages from his mother telling him how happy she was with his performance, which included several pictures of him playing in the game.

'So she came.'

How mortifying.

He still saved the messages, though. After making sure no one noticed him of course. Not because they were important or anything like that. Just...because.

Whatever, he didn't need to explain himself.

The rest of the morning was pretty boring. There wasn't much to do before the game started. It was a painful wait for the blond, but thankfully the hours rolled by and soon enough he, Kise, and Yuki were making their way back the building where the Inter-High was being held.

"I can't believe you overslept." Naruto grumbled. He and Kise were in their team jacket and pants, as it was to be expected.

Kise let out a quick yawn. "It's not my fault. Besides, the coach said he wanted us well rested for the match later."

"You still overdid it."

The others had gone on ahead since they didn't feel like waiting for Kise to finally wake up. Naruto had only waited because Yuki had forced him to, saying that he couldn't leave his "best friend" behind.

Since when was Kise his best friend?

"You should relax a little, Uzumakicchi. I know you want to see this match, but I'm sure we won't miss any of the exciting stuff."

Naruto hoped not. Or else, he might just have to throw Kise out a window to help him cope.

Yuki was the only anxious one here. Kise hadn't given them any details about what Murasakibara and Akashi were capable of, but she had heard the stories about their middle school matches. They were strong, and Momoi's words last night only further proved that. What kind of match were they going to see? Yuki didn't know, but she was sure it was going to be out of this world.

As fate would have it, as the trio began to enter the building, a certain tall snack eating player was exiting it. For a second, it looked like neither side was going to notice the other. But that didn't end up happening as Kise almost immediately recognized the other player and turned to him with wide eyes.

"Murasakibaracchi!?"

Murasakibara paused mid-bite from one of the snacks he was munching on. He reacted slower than Kise, looking as if he didn't want to be here right now.

"Kise-chin….."

Naruto openly stared at Murasakibara. This was the first time he was seeing the guy, and it was quite an experience. For one thing, the guy was tall. _Really_ tall. He was even taller than Kise by a good amount. It was almost like Naruto was staring at a giant.

And his presence. Right away, Naruto could see this guy was strong.

'So this is Murasakibara….'

The center for the Generation of Miracles…..already Naruto wanted to face him.

Yuki noticed the uniform he was wearing. It was the Yōsen High uniform.

'So Momoi-san was right.'

The girl was very grateful for this, to know Momoi hadn't tried to lie to them. Yuki was also glad that they were going to have to worry about one less powerful opponent after this first match. She was far more practical than Naruto, who just wanted to face anyone who was strong.

"We haven't seen each other since graduation, right?" Kise laughed as he patted Murasakibara on the back. "How you been? Still eating a lot of junk I see."

There was a whole pile of snacks on Murasakibara's arms. They ranged from chips to chocolate and anything else in between.

'Too much sweets,' Yuki thought with an inner grimace. It was making her sort of sick just looking at all the stuff he was eating at once.

"Ah, you're being too loud right now." Murasakibara took another bite from his chocolate bar. "I don't have the energy to keep up with you."

Even though he was eating all those sweets? Go figure.

Kise didn't seem to mind. "Still the same, huh."

If it didn't deal with basketball or snacks, Murasakibara was basically a total sloth. Trying to get him pumped up for anything else was almost an impossibility.

Yuki then noticed something. "Wait a second, isn't your match going to start soon? Why are you out here? Shouldn't you be with your team?"

Naruto and Kise both perked up at this. Now that she mentioned it…..

"Oh, that." Murasakibara started to lick some of the leftover chocolate off his fingers. "I'm not playing in the game today."

Say what now?

Kise couldn't help but frown at this. "Why?"

"Who knows?" Murasakibara clearly didn't care as much. "All I know is that Aka-chin told me not to, so I'm not."

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Aka-chin?"

"He's talking about Akashicchi…..our former captain," Kise replied, still frowning.

Naruto was frowning as well. They were on separate teams, but Murasakibara was still listening to what Akashi told him? More importantly, why would Akashi even ask that of Murasakibara? What was his end goal?

"Are you okay with this Murasakibaracchi?" Kise asked. He was not happy with this decision at all. "Choosing not to play…..your team could lose because of this, you know."

"I don't really care. I don't want to play a game where the outcome is already a given."

That would be the same as a worthless effort, and that wasn't Murasakibara's style.

Naruto stepped forward. "What are you saying? That you'll lose to Akashi no matter what you do?"

Murasakibara looked at Naruto for the first time. His eyes were cold. "Who are you?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"That so?" Obviously, Murasakibara didn't care much for that either.

Naruto scowled. "Answer the question."

He was beginning to get a bit irritated with this guy. He didn't seem to care about basketball at all. It was totally different from Aomine or even Midorima. The two might be stuck up assholes, but they still loved and respected the sport. It was something Naruto could admire in them. But Murasakibara didn't seem to harbor such sentiments. For Naruto, who had found salvation in basketball, it was annoying.

There was a pause, and Yuki was afraid that a fight was about to break out between the two boys. But even she couldn't have predicted what happened next.

Murasakibara started to pull on Naruto's cheek. "Those markings…..what are they? Birthmarks? They seem like drawings to me."

Naruto was left speechless for a few seconds before he exploded.

"What the fuck are you doing!?"

He tried to say that, but since Murasakibara was pulling on his cheek it came out as gibberish.

"Oh wow, they really are birthmarks." Murasakibara looked on in amazement, like a little kid visiting a zoo for the first time. "How weird."

"Get the fuck off me!"

"Eh, you're being too loud."

"You're the one who started pulling on my cheek! What? You wanna fight? Is that what you want!?"

"Just shut up already."

"Why you…..!"

Yuki didn't know what to think about this. "Kise-san, your friend is rather….."

She didn't know how to put it.

Kise had a resigned smile. "Yeah, he can be rather dense. Some even say he's got a screw loose for a head. But he's still a strong player. Even Aominecchi has a tough time scoring on him."

If Aomine of all people could struggle, then Yuki knew Murasakibara was not someone to be underestimated. For sure.

"I'm getting tired just from talking to you." Murasakibara sighed and turned away from the fuming Naruto. "Whatever, I was already leaving. I don't want to play basketball today. That's all."

This guy….

Kise looked down in dismay. "So you're still like that."

It was a shame, but if Murasakibara wasn't going to play then the first match for today was practically unimportant now. It wasn't going to be the game everyone had been expecting to see.

"Hah." Naruto scoffed at Murasakibara's retreating back. "I didn't take you for that kind of guy. You're nothing but a coward I see."

That comment stopped Murasakibara dead in his tracks. He turned back to Naruto, his face annoyed. "What did you say? I'm not a coward."

"But it's plain to see. You're running away, right? Looks like I overestimated you. If you're like this, then there's no reason to fear you if we ever face off. It'll be an easy victory for us."

Murasakibara looked even more annoyed now.

Yuki was just plain worried again. "Naruto-kun, stop trying to provoke him."

Kise said nothing, partially because he agreed with what Naruto was saying. He was really disappointed with this development.

"You take basketball seriously, don't you?"

It was a rhetorical question from Murasakibara. He could already tell what type of player Naruto was. The type that he hated most.

"You're so heated." Murasakibara walked back to Naruto, his face darkening as his hand loomed over the blond. "That it makes me want to crush you."

Naruto didn't flinch and glared back at him.

There was only one natural solution to this, and they both knew it.

* * *

Yuki had no idea how it happened. One minute they were heading to see a match. Nothing too exciting, right? Just a normal day between friends before they had to compete in their own game.

But now, they were out in one of the street courts nearby that no one else was using. Which was lucky for them.

Naruto and Murasakibara were the only ones on the court. The two had discarded their jackets and were now in their team t-shirts. Kise and Yuki stood to the side as spectators while Murasakibara's snacks lied safely on the ground next to them.

"Shouldn't we stop this?" Yuki wondered. Was this even legal? She was sure there was a rule against players participating in unofficial matches.

"You're taking it too seriously, Sugawaracchi." Kise had a quick solution to that. He shrugged. "They're only practicing. It's not an unofficial match at all."

Right…..such a convenient excuse.

It was a simple one-on-one, Naruto versus Murasakibara. Kise was fine with not taking part in this. He knew that Naruto felt a lot more strongly about this than he did, so he had no problems letting Naruto take out some of his frustrations on Murasakibara.

Of course, to Murasakibara this was nothing more than a simple way to put someone in their place. It was going to be quick and easy.

"Five points," Naruto said. "First to get five points wins."

There was an odd sense of déjà vu for Murasakibara when he heard this, but he ignored it.

The one-on-one was on.

* * *

It was Naruto who started out with the ball first. Murasakibara took his normal position under the basket, looking laid back as usual. It was like he didn't care about this at all.

It only annoyed Naruto further.

"Let me ask you something."

"Hm?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he dribbled the ball in place.

"What is basketball to you?"

Murasakibara frowned. "What does that matter to you?"

So he wasn't going to explain himself.

"If you have anything to say to me, I'll hear you out right now." Murasakibara raised his massive hand again. "Here, on the court."

That suited Naruto just fine.

No more words were exchanged. There was a tense moment where the only sound was that of the ball hitting the ground. Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Then, without a signal, Naruto launched his body forward. Even though this wasn't an official match and it wouldn't count for anything, he was still going to give it his all.

Murasakibara had annoyed him that much.

The purple haired teen didn't seem fazed by Naruto's speed at all. Even when Naruto was right in front of him, Murasakibara didn't bat an eye. It almost seemed like he wasn't going to do anything as Naruto made to get around him by his left side. But then, just as Naruto was going to shoot past him, Murasakibara sprung into action.

Naruto didn't hide his surprise when Murasakibara blocked his path, cutting him off from dunking.

The blond quickly stopped to asses the situation for a moment.

'He's fast.'

That was the obvious observation. Naruto had been expecting Murasakibara to have a slow reaction time given his size, but it was the opposite.

It was honestly shocking.

"Well?" Murasakibara drawled out. "Are you coming or not? Or are you all talk?"

Naruto held himself back from taking the bait. Losing his cool right now would only jeopardize his chances for victory. Murasakibara's attitude might piss him off, but that had nothing to do with his skills.

Annoyingly enough.

Murasakibara felt surprise rise in his chest when he saw Naruto start to dribble the ball slower than before.

'This is…..'

He recognized this. He had seen it many times back in Teikō.

As he predicted, Naruto launched forward again. It was an amazing thing, he had to admit. Changing speeds like that was not something just anyone could do. Naruto's speed was also doubled from before.

The blond really was serious about this.

Like before, it looked like Naruto was going to try and get past Murasakibara with a straightforward drive, using his speed to get the advantage over Murasakibara.

It was then that Naruto realized something else. Even if Murasakibara couldn't fully react to his speed, that didn't mean he couldn't stop him. With those long arms of his, Murasakibara was able to reach lengths most people couldn't without really trying all that much.

That's what Naruto found out as he tried to jump after being able to get around Murasakibara's initial defense.

'I won't score.'

Not at this rate. Not when Murasakibara's massive hand loomed nearby, ready to strike at the appropriate time.

Murasakibara felt like victory was upon him. Naruto couldn't go anywhere else under these circumstances. Once he jumped, Murasakibara would smack the ball out of his hands. He was sure of it.

But there was another twist in this face off, only this one came from Naruto.

Acting quickly, Naruto dribbled the ball harder than before, making sure it bounced higher than normal. Not expecting this, Murasakibara was caught off guard when the ball launched past his shoulders.

'What is-'

He couldn't finish his question as Naruto spun on his heels and ran to the other side where the ball was waiting for him.

Murasakibara saw what Naruto was trying to do and immediately spun around to try and stop Naruto's dunk for a third time.

It was an amazing thing for Kise and Yuki to witness. It was Naruto's speed against Murasakibara's reaction time. Which one was faster? It's what would decide the play.

As it turned out, Naruto's speed proved to be faster this time as he launched into the air a second faster than Murasakibara who had been slowed down by his initial defense. By the point the center tried to smack the ball from Naruto's hands, the blond was already dunking it.

"He did it!" Despite her initial hesitation, Yuki was still more than happy to cheer for Naruto and his first victory over Murasakibara.

Kise didn't share her enthusiasm, however. From the pit of his stomach, he just knew that this was far from over.

Naruto could sense this as well as there was a sudden spike of anger from Murasakibara.

"Ah, I totally understand now. You're definitely one of _those_ players, aren't you."

If Murasakibara had any doubts before, they were gone now.

Naruto faced him, sweat dripping down his cheek. He could feel, nay almost _taste_ the intense pressure that was washing off Murasakibara, like a purple aura that threatened to swallow anything it touched.

'He looks totally different now.'

It was like he had awakened the beast.

"You enjoy basketball, is it?" Murasakibara clenched his fists as he towered over Naruto. "I'll show you….just how cruel of a sport basketball can be."

It was so revolting, Murasakibara could puke. Watching players squirm for victory, trying to reassure themselves through "hard work." He had seen it many times, and it always ended the same way.

In defeat.

"I'll crush all of it," he said, his face darkening. "Your work, your faith, your determination."

Murasakibara was going to grind them into the dust.

* * *

 **Just because there wasn't an official match doesn't mean I was going to leave Murasakibara out of this. No way. It's not as good as a full on match, but eh. It'll do.**

 **For now.**

 **That's all from me. Hope it was enjoyable.**

 **Till next time.**


	11. No Meaning

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10:  
** **No Meaning**

The Generation of Miracles.

Naruto had met most of them by this point. Yuki had told him the basics of their abilities back when he had first accepted Kise's offer. Or at least, what they were capable of back in middle school. That information had been a good guide, but far from accurate. Kise, Midorima, and Aomine had shattered those expectations. Their growth was something to behold. Everyone could see that.

As it turned out, Murasakibara was no exception.

Standing against the powerful center was quite an experience. The tall teen had a totally different aura from Kise and Aomine. It was far more potent, in-your-face kind of feel. It really was like Murasakibara's aura was trying to engulf Naruto whole, like Naruto was nothing more than prey that needed to be consumed and then tossed aside like garbage.

And most of all, the difference in height. Naruto had noticed it earlier when they first met, but now as the enraged Murasakibara stood before him with the ball in hand it was like he was meeting the guy for the first time all over again.

Murasakibara truly was a different person right now. Not the sluggish, lazy teen that was always munching on snacks. But the powerful center for the Generation of Miracles, ready to decimate anyone stupid enough to stand in his way.

"I'll crush you," Murasakibara growled out. "You'll see just how cruel basketball can be."

Naruto didn't answer. He was going to stop this guy. Someone who had no respect for basketball…...there was no way he could lose to someone like that.

There was no further warning from Murasakibara. He was a man of few words, after all.

There was only his attack.

He charged forward like a tank, his feet stomping the ground with such ferocity Naruto was sure he would crack it at some point.

Naruto didn't allow himself to be distracted by that as Murasakibara rushed closer. There was no trickery in his moves, no bluffs or fancy maneuvers like Aomine.

Murasakibara didn't need to use any of that. He simply lunged forward toward the basket. Naruto jumped up to intercept him in midair, looking ready to swat the ball from his hands.

'Attacking me head-on like this…...there's a limit to being arrogant, Murasakibara!'

But Murasakibara was willing to challenge that claim as he went in with a double-handed dunk. It was frightening in a way, when Naruto saw that the powerful center had managed to jump even higher than him too.

Murasakibara's face twisted into anger as he slammed the ball through the net and right through Naruto's defense, knocking the blond back. Naruto stumbled back into the ground, just barely able to get his footing as Murasakibara hung over him from the rim.

"Huh? Is that the best you can do?" Murasakibara said mockingly as he let go of the rim and landed back on solid ground. It was a miracle that the basket hadn't collapsed from that dunk, but Murasakibara didn't pay that too much attention.

"Amazing," Yuki said from the sidelines. "I can't believe he managed to overpower Naruto-kun like that….."

He just pushed Naruto back as if Naruto was just another regular player.

Kise said nothing to this, just watching on. He already knew that Murasakibara had yet to use his most powerful move. _That_ was when the fun was going to start.

Naruto couldn't say anything at the moment, too busy thinking on that play. He should have known this sooner, but he had confirmation now. Murasakibara was in another league when it came to physical strength. At the very least, neither Kise nor Aomine could compete with him in that area.

This just got his heart pumping faster.

'That's the way it should be,' he thought with a huge smile.

Murasakibara saw the excitement on Naruto's face and scowled. Why the hell was the blond smiling? This was no time for that.

'This guy…..'

Murasakibara was only annoyed further by this display.

* * *

Naruto had the ball next, and the two faced off against one another again. Naruto already knew that trying to get around this guy was going to be harder than last time. Now that he was playing seriously, his defense was more than formidable.

Murasakibara was simply looking to crush Naruto. Smiling in front of him like that…..it only irked him.

But in the back of his mind, a question started to form. Almost like a hazy feeling that was trying to find its way to him from the very recesses of his mind.

Why was he so aggravated? Sure, he detested players who thought that they could win with effort alone. Like they could beat natural talent if they just tried hard enough. It was one of the biggest lies in basketball as far as he was concerned. But then again, he was never quick to anger this easily. It made him motivated to crush those types of players, sure, but _anger_? That type of response usually took a while from him.

So why? Why was he feeling this way so easily? And why did he want to crush Naruto this badly? Was it really because of the type of player Naruto was? Or was he wrong about that?

That question started to nag Murasakibara, but he let it go for now as Naruto readied himself to attack.

There was the tense second before the play, as Naruto and Murasakibara both glared at one another. Then, Naruto pounced. His change of speed was amazing as ever, so much so that Murasakibara had to begrudgingly complimented again in his mind.

Naruto's path was towards Murasakibara's left again, but the center made sure to block it off with one easy step. This was followed by the same crossover as before, with Naruto dribbling the ball hard past his shoulder and doing a quick spin.

"Huh, who do you think I am!?" Murasakibara looked enraged that Naruto was using the same move again. That wasn't going to work twice on him!

As Naruto grabbed the ball again, he was met with Murasakibara's shadow looming over him. Unlike last time, Murasakibara had been able to to turn on his feels fast enough to catch up to him. He was slower than Naruto for sure, but those giant legs of his made him able to cut the distance with fewer steps than normal.

It was almost unfair, having limbs like that. For a Japanese player to be built like this, it was beyond rare.

While others might have buckled under this pressure, Naruto did not. He thrived in it in fact. He was already keenly aware that he wasn't going to be able to go at this with a straightforward approach. Not if he wanted to score against this behemoth.

That's why he performed a quick dribble between his legs so that he was once again going on Murasakibara's left flank.

'T'ch, this guy!' Murasakibara looked annoyed at Naruto's quick pace. He had just managed to catch up to him and cut off one route, but the blond was already on the move again. It was just like watching Aomine play.

And that hazy feeling…..

Once again, Murasakibara ignored it as as he stepped in Naruto's direction to try and close the distance between them again. Naruto saw this and knew what Murasakibara was trying to do. Not wanting to be blocked again, Naruto performed a high speed crossover that put him on Murasakibara's right side. With this, he was able to blitz right through. To Murasakibara, it was like Naruto was a cockroach, ready to take advantage of every little opening he could.

It was beyond infuriating to him.

By this point, with all of Naruto's quick-pace maneuvers, Murasakibara had fallen behind just enough for Naruto to jump for the dunk. Unfortunately for him, Murasakibara pushed his body further to the point where he was jumping right over Naruto, ready to swat the ball out of Naruto's hands. He had managed to close the gap Naruto had built just like that.

'Uzumakicchi…..' Kise's eyes narrowed while Yuki looked on in worry. Naruto had already jumped, so there was nowhere to go. To them, it seemed like Naruto was going to lose this battle too.

But then, at the last second, Naruto ducked to the side in midair and away from Murasakibara's massive hands and flung the ball like a baseball. It smacked against the backboard before dropping to the net below.

That was another point for Naruto.

Murasakibara was nothing but frustrated as the two dropped down to the ground.

Kise on the other hand had to grin widely at that. He had to admit that even he had been fooled, thinking that Murasakibara had the upper hand just now. But once again, Naruto had surprised him.

Yuki was just as excited, her eyes wide but her face flushed with happiness. 'He's definitely gotten more agile since going into Zone!'

Even someone like her could see that.

As for Naruto, he turned to the angry looking Murasakibara with an air of acceptance.

"Don't get me wrong, Murasakibara. I hate the way you think, but I can't deny it either. You're strong." He then stepped closer to him, his face changing to grim determination. "That doesn't change anything, though. I'll make sure to defeat you."

"Huh? That so?" Murasakibara had many things he wanted to say, but he didn't bother to. That would be pointless. He would simply show the blond how all those ideals were nothing when they were put up against him.

* * *

The next play was quick to come with Murasakibara on the offensive. Unlike Naruto, he had no problem just charging on in. After all, as far as he was concerned he had already proven that he had a lot more raw strength than Naruto with his first play. There was no reason to play it safe.

Yuki was worried about the same thing. 'How are you going to stop him, Naruto-kun?'

This wasn't like with Kise or Aomine. He had to find a way to stop that dunk somehow.

'No, it's not just that.' Unlike Yuki, Kise already saw it coming. What Murasakibara was planning on doing this time. But still, to pull it out like this….

'Are you that angry, Murasakibaracchi?'

Murasakibara didn't question his frustrations toward Naruto this time. Instead, he charged forward again.

Naruto stood back, sticking close to the hoop. Murasakibara's strength had caught him off guard last time, but he wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

That said, Naruto was not prepared to see Murasakibara suddenly stopping in front of the hoop rather than going all out for the dunk like last time.

'What is he planning?'

Naruto asked himself that question, but he didn't need to ponder it for long as Murasakibara was more than happy to show him. He jumped in the air and performed a spin towards the basket, with air seeming to pick up around him. This might have made other players struggle to try and intercept the dunk, but Naruto wasn't one of those players. He was able to jump on par with Murasakibara and meet him midair for the aerial battle.

'Here it is,' Kise thought, watching everything carefully. 'Murasakibaracchi's strongest dunk.'

It was completely different from the previous dunk. This was on another league when it came to power. This was the hammer of destruction, Thor's Hammer.

Naruto and Murasakibara clashed in midair, fighting for control of the ball. They used both hands for this. It was a bonafide aerial battle, and it was anyone's game. For the first time since Akashi, Murasakibara saw someone being able to stand up against his strongest move.

'But how can he….!?'

That hazy feeling returned to him again, only this time Murasakibara was able to finally realize what it was as he faced off directly against Naruto. This truth only motivated him to win further.

The two boys let out a determined shout each as they put everything they had on the line here. They were eager to destroy the other here and now.

'Who has it!? Who has the ball!?' Yuki was unable to keep her eyes away from the battle taking place before her.

There was another tense second before the winner of their little bout was finally decided.

It was Naruto, who managed to finally push the ball out of Murasakibara's hands just before he could be overpowered.

"Uzumaki," Murasakibara growled as they descended to the ground.

Naruto felt more sweat start to drip from his forehead. If he had faced off against Murasakibara several months back, then he would have surely lost just now. Back then, he had been too afraid to use the overwhelming power his body oozed.

But things were different now. He wasn't going to hold back against anyone. His ascendance into Zone proved that.

Kise was more than surprised this time. He knew Naruto was powerful. In physical strength, Kise had to begrudgingly admit that Naruto had him beat. But to be able to stop Murasakibara's Thor Hammer?

'You're still growing, aren't you?'

That thought lit another flame within Kise. He wasn't going to let Naruto get ahead of him so easily. No way.

Yuki simply smiled. She didn't fully approve of all of this, but she didn't want to see Naruto lose either.

'This guy is different.' That was Murasakibara's thought as Naruto walked to the ball. That hazy feeling had finally been cleared up, and Murasakibara now understood why Naruto was putting him one edge like this.

"You, you're Uzumaki Naruto, aren't you?"

"Huh?" Naruto picked up the ball before glancing at him. "Yeah?" He had shared his name with the guy, right? So why was he asking for it now?

Murasakibara had forgotten about that name, but now that he was seeing Naruto play he was able to remember.

'That video Masako-chin showed me….'

It was the video of the practice match between Kise and Naruto. Murasakibara had frankly forgotten about it. It had been months since he watched it, after all. But at that time, a familiar feeling had been building up inside Murasakibara when he watched it. A feeling that made him want to play against the blond, something he had only felt with four other people.

Naruto had the same air as them, as the Generation of Miracles. That's why Murasakibara was so easily frustrated. It was because he had the instinct to win against him, more than anybody else around. Naruto's personality simply confused him with that of Kuroko's and his silly beliefs.

But Murasakibara was sure of himself now. He was sure Naruto was a talented player. He was like the rest of them. Those flashy moves were proof of that.

'Well, this changes nothing.'

Murasakibara still intended to win. However, at the end of the day, he knew Naruto's words were cheap. He was talented. That's all.

That didn't mean he was going to lose. Far from it.

Naruto was completely unaware of Murasakibara's thoughts. To him, this one-on-one hadn't changed from the beginning. He intended to correct Murasakibara's way of thinking. That's all.

If only he knew that was impossible for him to do. His actions here had no meaning anymore. He was simply wasting his time.

* * *

As Naruto and Murasakibara faced off once more, Naruto saw another shift in Murasakibara's demeanor. Anger was still in the mix sure, but it was more tamed now. More focused. Now, it looked like Murasakibara was more determined than angry.

Just what was going through his head right now?

Naruto decided to let it be and shot Murasakibara a smirk.

"You gave me an interesting challenge earlier. Allow me to pay you back."

There would be no tricks this time.

Murasakibara's eyes narrowed, not replying.

Naruto was fine with that as he charged ahead. Murasakibara was expecting another fancy set of moves from the blond, but none came this time. It was truly a straightforward attack.

'I'm going to dunk right through you!'

Murasakibara took this challenge to heart. "Huh!? Who's underestimating who now!?"

The two boys jumped into the air at the same time again. Murasakibara found that Naruto jumped higher than before. He still had another level?

'He's not joking around,' Murasakibara realized. He totally intended to try and dunk right through him.

Yuki could only gape at this. "Is he an idiot!?"

No wait, he was. He was a total idiot. If anything, she shouldn't be surprised by this.

But still...!

Kise just watched on in silence, but inside his head he was smiling. He wouldn't expect anything else from Naruto.

There was another round of determined shouting from both Naruto and Murasakibara as they faced off head-on in midair for the second time. Naruto had both hands on the ball as he zoned in on the basket. But Murasakibara was there to block it. It was the same situation as before, only in reverse now.

Naruto's eyes widened a little when he saw Murasakibara's oppressive aura return. Only it was more potent this time. He was getting stronger by the second.

Naruto felt himself be pushed back, and annoyingly enough a moment later the ball was sent flying out of his hands.

Murasakibara was able to win this round.

"The two of them are evenly matched," Yuki noted, no longer sure of where this face off was going. Not just that, but she was still amazed that Murasakibara was able to match Naruto in physical strength. She had never seen anyone else be able to do that before

Kise wasn't so sure of that, though. Naruto still had a big ace in the hole, something Murasakibara wasn't able to counter.

Zone.

'If Uzumakicchi went that far…..'

But the question remained. Could Naruto enter Zone again? Kise wasn't sure if he himself could. He was still trying to figure out how he had entered it in the first place. Aomine would probably know more about that. He had more experience with the Zone than any of them.

For now, the one-on-one would continue.

* * *

Things descended into a more chaotic time after that. Yuki couldn't really describe what she was seeing. It was like the one-on-one had become a show of physical strength and not about the points.

"Murasakibara!" Naruto shouted with ferocity as he managed to push through the boy's massive hands and dunk.

But that victory was short lived as Murasakibara was quick on the comeback with the next play, With a fierce shout and another spin in midair, Murasakibara was shoving the ball right through the net and over Naruto.

It had been around twenty minutes now since they had started this, and both boys were sweating profusely. It was a slow climb, as they found that they were truly evenly matched when it came to their raw strength. Naruto was also finding that Murasakibara was getting better reacting to his moves. His reflexes were improving more and more as the match continued. Trying to score against him was just...

'Yeah, easier said than done.'

Once again, Naruto was forced to admit that Murasakibara was a strong player. Outside of the Generation of Miracles, he was positive that no one else could go toe-to-toe against him like this. It's probably why he looked down on others as much as he did.

"Bastard, why won't you get crushed already?" Murasakibara panted heavily. He hadn't played this hard against anyone before. Not since he had first started out playing basketball.

"Don't you think it's about time we stopped them?" Yuki asked. This had gone on far longer than she would have liked.

Kise smirked. "Yeah, you try telling them that."

The model knew there was no way Naruto or Murasakibara were going to stop now. Both had four points. The moment of truth was coming next.

Sadly, fate had other plans in store as their unofficial match had to come to an sudden and abrupt end.

"What do you two think you're doing!?"

All four teens froze when Takeuchi's voice reached the court. The man wasn't alone either. Next to him was Masako Araki, the head coach for Yōsen. The woman carried her usual shinai sword, tapping it over her shoulder as she glared at Murasakibara.

"Urgh, Masako-chin." Murasakibara grimaced when he saw the woman. From the look on her face, he already knew he was in trouble.

"T'ch, first you say you're not going to play today, and then you disappear? Who do you think you are?"

Naruto, Yuki, and Kise all sweatdropped when they saw the woman start to beat Murasakibara with the sword, smacking him in the back repeatedly.

"It wasn't my fault!" Murasakibara tried to explain himself, but it was no use. The woman was beating him too much for that.

'S-Shouldn't that be considered abuse?' Yuki wondered to herself. But more than that, she was impressed that the woman was able to keep Murasakibara in line like that.

"You shouldn't be worrying about him right now."

Naruto and Kise paled when they saw Takeuchi marching towards them.

"H-Hey there, coach!" Naruto tried to be upbeat about the situation, but that ended up failing miserably as the man grabbed both him and Kise by their heads and started dragging them off the court.

"W-What's this for!? Shit, this hurts!" Naruto thought only Kasamatsu's kicks could hurt this badly!

"M-My head! I need that for modeling, coach!"

"Shut it, both of you! You're lucky no officials saw you, otherwise you would have been disqualified from the tournament!"

"But it was just a friendly match-!"

"Shut it, Uzumaki! I don't need to hear a word from you! And you, Sugawara. Keep them in line next time!"

"Y-Yes, I'm sorry!" Yuki didn't know why she was suddenly bowing to the man, but she did it anyway.

"D-Dammit, how could this end so poorly like this!?" Naruto was more than just disappointed with an ending like this. He was sort of angry with it in fact. Heck, he wasn't even going to be able to give Murasakibara any parting words!

So uncool.

"You shouldn't have played in the first place! Now come on and shut up. And Sugawara, grab their stuff. We don't need either of these morons stepping back in the court anytime soon."

"Y-Yes!"

"But I didn't do anything!"

Kise's cries of protests were ignored, as were Naruto's.

In the end, neither side got to say their goodbyes as the two coaches cleared the area.

It was truly an ending without meaning.

* * *

"Pfft-ahahahaha! So you got chewed out! Oh, this is priceless!"

"Shut it, Moriyama. Before I decide to let out my frustrations on you."

"It was sort of your fault, though. What were you thinking?"

"The guy pissed me off. What was I supposed to do?"

"Oh, I don't know. Walk away like a normal person?"

"Now you're starting to sound like Yuki, Kobori. That's not good for you."

"Don't start, Naruto-kun. You're in timeout right now."

"W-Wait, what? How's that fair!? What about Kise!?"

"He didn't play in an unofficial match, now did he?"

"You're just playing favorites, Yuki!"

"I'm not, and sit down already!"

Naruto was all grumbles and curses as he was made to take his seat up in the viewing area with the other spectators. The rest of the team was there too, as Takeuchi had dragged them there and told them to stay put.

As it turned out, the game hadn't actually started yet. There had been a small delay. Why? Naruto didn't know, and he was too annoyed to care. His precious match against Murasakibara had been stopped, after all. It felt like he had accomplished nothing despite all the effort he had put in.

Talk about a waste of time.

And what was up with the coach's reaction anyway? He looked extra frustrated for some reason. It didn't make any sense in Naruto's mind.

"That is an interesting story, though." For once, Kasamatsu was nonchalant about the whole situation. Probably because Naruto had already been punished so he didn't need to do it himself. "If Murasakibara isn't playing today, then the odds are in Rakuzan's favor."

"But why would Yōsen even agree to something like that?" Nakamura asked, not understanding the logic behind it.

Naruto just shrugged. "Beats me."

It was a stupid deal regardless. Murasakibara just throwing the game out like that, it really irked him.

Kasamatsu frowned. "There has to be more going on here."

Probably, but what? No one had an answer.

'As usual, Akashicchi doesn't do anything halfheartedly,' Kise thought with a bitter smile.

No more words were said as the two teams started to appear on the court below. Surprisingly enough, Naruto saw that Murasakibara was with his team.

Was that why the game was delayed? Because Murasakibara had been absent?

The Rakuzan players started to trickle in soon after, and it was here where Naruto finally saw the final member of the Generation of Miracles with his own eyes.

Akashi Seijūrō. He didn't look imposing as the others. In fact, his physical built was probably the most average out of the Generation of Miracles. Even so, there was no denying the fact that he carried a huge presence on the court.

"So that's the former captain of the Generation of Miracles," Yuki said, her eyes studying the redhead. For some reason, he made her feel uneasy. And she wasn't even near him.

"And those three." Kasamatsu looked at the three other starters in Rakuzan's team. "They're the Uncrowned Kings, right?"

They didn't carry the same presence as Akashi, but Naruto could still feel a dangerous air around them.

They were definitely not to be underestimated either.

The novelty of finally seeing Akashi for the first time wore off real fast, though, and Naruto only got more frustrated when he saw that neither Akashi nor Murasakibara stepped up to the starting lineup on the court.

Neither one of them was playing today it seemed.

"So that's how it is." Kasamatsu finally understood why Yōsen had agreed to not have Murasakibara play today.

Because Akashi wasn't going to play either. Both members of the Generation of Miracles were going to be absent for this game.

"H(o)w is t(h)at (e)ven le(g)al!?" Hayakawa exclaimed, feeling just as frustrated as Naruto.

"That's the type of person Akashicchi is," Kise explained, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter how ridiculous his demands may be. He'll find a way to get them done, one way or another."

Yuki almost gulped at that explanation. "He sounds kind of scary…."

She had no idea.

Naruto scowled. "Whatever, this game is totally pointless now."

There was no reason to watch it as far as he was concerned.

"Just shut up and watch," Kasamatsu said. "Even if Murasakibara and Akashi are staying out of this, whoever wins this match will be our opponents in the finals. So watch closely."

He said that, but Naruto had no interest. Not even the so-called Uncrowned Kings invited his attention.

This game no longer interested him.

* * *

Despite Naruto's feelings towards the match, that didn't stop the rest in the audience from getting excited. Even as he excused himself to go to the bathroom, he could still hear their shouts of excitement here and there.

At least they were enjoying themselves today.

Naruto decided to let his frustrations of the day go. Regardless of how he felt, he couldn't change how his match with Murasakibara went, nor could he change Murasakibara and Akashi backing out of their match. He would just have to be content that he was facing one of them in the finals later.

He could vent then.

Regrettably, life wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. Naruto figured this out when he saw another person appearing on the opposite end of the hallway. It was Akashi, who was also heading to the bathroom.

The two teens stopped on opposite sides of the entrance when they spotted the other, the two locking eyes with one another.

Naruto simply stared at the former captain of the Generation of Miracles. The guy probably didn't know who he was, but this was still a bizarre coincidence.

Akashi began to smile. Except his smile made Naruto feel agitated for whatever reason. Almost like he was already being looked down on.

"So you're Uzumaki Naruto."

Okay, scratch that. So he did know who he was. That made things a lot easier then.

"It's a bit earlier than expected, but it's a pleasure to meet you."

For some reason, Naruto doubted the greeting was sincere. He still took it.

"Yeah, same here."

Akashi continued to smile as he made to step into the bathroom. "I look forward to facing you against the finals. Thanks to you, things won't be as boring as I predicted."

Say what?

"Are you that confident your team will win?"

Akashi stopped but didn't face him. "I am. Even if Atsushi were to play, the outcome would be the same."

"Then why did you tell him not to play?" Naruto scowled. "And why aren't you playing? What's the deal with all of this?"

"Hm? Oh, that." Akashi turned to him, his smile gone now. "There is no meaning. It just wouldn't be interesting."

The hell? _That_ was his reason? What the hell kind of thought process did this guy have?

"The outcome is already a given, and Atsushi isn't one to waste his energy on pointless affairs. That's why he accepted my offer. The championship game would have been the same I reckon."

"Heh, all you Generation of Miracles." Naruto nearly spat out the same, his hands clenching at his side. "You all have a way of easily pissing me off, you know that? But fine. If you're so confident you'll be in the finals, then I don't mind taking you on. I'll make sure to win, though."

"Don't get carried away, Uzumaki Naruto." Akashi's eyes gained a dangerous gleam to them. "I did say it would be interesting, but that's not the same as me admitting defeat. I am the absolute. Even if I'm facing my former teammates, victory will always be on my side. You can be sure of that, for I'm never wrong."

Oh yeah. Murasakibara had nothing on this guy where arrogance was concerned.

But that just made it all the better for the blond.

"Then I'll be the first to prove you wrong. I can promise you that."

Another smile reached Akashi's face.

"You're welcomed to try."

The stage was set. Naruto had made his challenge, and Akashi was willing to accept it. Neither boy was going to hold anything back against the other.

The finals were almost upon them.

* * *

 **Shorter chapter, I know. But it was more about the Naruto vs. Murasakibara clash and how pointless it would have been if Naruto won. That's because of Naruto's skills, which Murasakibara had to recognize. In that position, there was no way Murasakibara was going to have the same epiphany as when he faced Kagami and Kuroko.**

 **Kudos to the guy who figured that out last chapter.**

 **But now, Naruto vs. Akashi draws close. How will that turn out?**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Till next time.**


	12. The Emperor

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11:  
** **The Emperor**

"Ah, another dunk!"

"How many does that make!?"

"No one can stop this guy!"

"Looks like this is it for Ōnita!"

Yuki heard many comments being shouted from the audience seats, but frankly she couldn't give them the time of day. She was far too engrossed in watching Naruto dunk right through another two defenders, one of which was supposed to be one of the best point guards and overall players in all of Japan outside of the Generation of Miracles.

His name was Kobayashi Keisuke. Despite his good skills, though, he wasn't able to put up too much of a fight as Naruto and Kise made short work of his offense and passes. They had made it to the semifinals, but the difference in skill was plain to see for everyone who was watching.

It still wasn't normal, though, the way Naruto was going after them. If she didn't know any better, Yuki would think Naruto had some sort of vendetta against them.

'Naruto-kun….'

On the court, the others were thinking along the same lines as they watched Naruto score again and again.

"I didn't think Uzumaki would be this angry about what happened earlier," Moriyama said. It was the last minute of the final quarter. With their lead, victory was pretty much theirs. That didn't mean they would stop playing, though. Not a chance.

Kasamatsu frowned. He wasn't convinced that the interrupted match with Murasakibara was enough to make Naruto this angry. He hadn't been this frustrated earlier either. Only after his bathroom break did the blond seem more ticked off than usual.

Kise was thinking the same thing, but now wasn't the time for questions. They had a match to win.

Up in the audience seats, Aomine and Momoi watched the last couple of seconds tick down. The match ended with a simple three from Moriyama, but by that point no one in Ōnita had any fighting spirit left. They had been utterly crushed by Naruto's and Kise's double team.

"So they won after all," Momoi gushed as the buzzer went off.

Aomine wasn't surprised at all. If anything, he would have been slightly pissed off if he saw any less than this. That said, he could also tell that Naruto was in a bad mood right now.

"I guess it's just as we thought." Momoi's voice softened as both teams began to lineup before they returned to their locker rooms. "It'll be Kaijō versus Rakuzan in the finals."

Rakuzan had managed to gain their victory against Yōsen earlier. Neither Akashi nor Murasakibara ever set foot on the court, both honoring the deal they had between them.

Aomine had a similar reaction to Naruto when he heard the news. It was more than just enraging. It was an insult, especially towards their promise.

'But Murasakibara has always been one to listen to Akashi.'

Akashi was the only one who could order him around. The fact that they were now on different teams hadn't changed that it seemed.

Whatever. Aomine didn't approve, but he knew he could do nothing about it. It was done, and Rakuzan was moving on to the finals. Regardless of how it happened, Aomine knew that tomorrow's match was going to be an interesting one.

"Let's go, Satsuki."

Momoi looked surprised as Aomine stood up from his seat.

"H-Huh? We're going? Didn't Ki-chan text you about something?"

"I can answer it later. Let's go."

Aomine started to walk away, and Momoi had no choice but to run after him.

"Wait for me, you idiot!"

Aomine took one final glance to the court below, where Kaijō was getting ready to return to their locker room.

'You better not let me down, Uzumaki.'

* * *

"What was that all about, Uzumakicchi?"

"What?" Naruto looked up from his bag to see Kise standing over him. He wasn't alone. Yuki was next to him, her face filled with worry.

The others in the locker room were glancing their way, probably curious to find out why he was in such a bad mood.

"You played harsher than usual," Yuki explained, her hands fiddling with her skirt out of worry. "Did something happen?"

Putting his water bottle down, Naruto sighed. He hadn't really noticed that he was doing anything different than usual, but he also didn't remember much of the game just now. His head was filled with only one thing at the moment.

"I'm just agitated, about tomorrow's game."

Kise frowned. "Are you scared?"

Naruto threw his water bottle at Kise, which smacked the model right in the face.

"What the-! That hurt, Uzumakicchi!"

"Then don't be an idiot. I'm not scared. I'm just pissed off." Naruto scowled heavily. "I had the pleasure of meeting your former captain earlier. I already knew he was going to be a dick, but he still managed to surprise me. Go figure."

Kise, still rubbing his sore forehead, now understood.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't get along well with him."

Naruto and subordination didn't mesh well together, after all. And Akashi was nothing if not forceful with his command. If you weren't with him, then he would not hesitate to destroy you, by any means necessary. No, even if you followed him, you weren't totally safe. Not if you failed him.

"Is that it?" Yuki asked, wanting to be sure there was nothing else going on.

"Yeah, I just wanted to vent some." Naruto looked down, his face now filled with hunger. But not for food. "But that wasn't enough. I need a bigger challenge."

"H'mph, then you're in luck." Takeuchi got everyone's attention as he stepped forward. "We might have had it easy today, but tomorrow is a different story. We're going up against _the_ Rakuzan. And this year, it's said they have their strongest roster ever."

That didn't come as a surprise to anyone. The former captain of the Generation of Miracles and three of the Uncrowned Kings? That was enough to make anyone think twice about going up against them.

Naruto and Kise weren't like that, though. The same could be said for the others in the team. Call it idiocy, but they were more than ready to take on such a big challenge.

Yuki knew this perfectly well, which is why all she could do was support them with everything she had.

Tomorrow was going to decide everything.

* * *

Everyone made sure to get a good night's rest. They knew they were going to need every ounce of energy they had for the game. Even so, sleep did not come easy. Not when such a momentous occasion was hanging over them. They were in the finals, after all. It was going to be one of the most important games in their high school career.

Kasamatsu felt this weight more than the others. He might have failed last year, but he was back now. And not just at the starting point either. He had managed to reach the finish line.

'No, _we've_ managed to do it.'

It had been a team effort. Kasamatsu knew he couldn't have done this alone. Which is why he was more than ready to keep supporting this team with everything he had. They were all idiots and annoyed the hell out of him more often than not. But it was still his team, and he would stand by them.

And in order to correct the mistakes from last year, they were going to have to win.

His motive was far more noble than anything Naruto had going on his mind. To the blond, this was all about victory.

To Kise, this was about keeping the promise he had made with the others, but with some altercations.

"I really want to win with this team."

Naruto looked at his fellow blond. The two of them were sitting out by the pool provided by their hotel. Neither of them could sleep no matter how much they tried. The blood was pumping in their veins, their muscles twitching with anticipation at what was to come. In this state, there was no way they could fall asleep.

"Is that why you're fighting so hard?"

"Of course it is!" Kise looked at his reflection on the pool. "Basketball stopped being fun for me at some point in Teikō. I can't really explain it. I just did it because I felt I had to. It also felt like none of us were friends anymore. That promise I told you about, it was the only thing holding us together. That, and our instinct to win."

"Sounds like it was a terrible time."

But that was already obvious for Naruto. Having met Aomine, Midorima, and Murasakibara had all but confirmed it to him.

"Yeah. Kurokocchi didn't think we were a team, and after playing with you guys I'm starting to agree with him. All we ever cared about was victory, but we didn't seek it either. It just came to us. It wasn't anything glamorous."

"Hmm, that so?" Naruto hummed a little. Kise's past in Teikō didn't concern him. This disinterest didn't come from a bad place. It was simply the past. The past didn't exist to chain you down. No, what Naruto cared about was the future and their time together in Kaijō.

"I can't fully understand that, but I do get your lack of motivation and connection. That's pretty much what I've been trying to solve for a while now."

Kise raised his head, looking curious. "What does that mean?"

Naruto grinned, but the grin didn't quite reach his eyes. "Maybe I'll tell you about it one day."

His amnesia, and his time before Kaijō. It was something he'd rather forget. Now that he was here, he only wanted to worry about what came next.

"That's just mean, Uzumakicchi. After I opened up to you!"

"Yeah, and that was your fault. Don't look at me like I'm the bad guy."

"But you totally are! Always making jokes at my expense….."

"You're a big boy. You can take it."

"That's not the point!"

There was silence before the two started to laugh. It was pointless really, but that's what made it so refreshing.

"Akashicchi probably doesn't understand this, but there's more to basketball than winning," Kise said after his laugh died down. "That's the principle he lives by. He's never lost before. That's why he claims he's always right."

"What kind of bullshit is that?" Naruto scoffed. "If he hasn't lost, then that just means we have to be the ones to make him understand."

Kise chuckled. "You make things sound so easy. But I'm sure you know some of what he's capable of. Sugawaracchi should have already told you."

Yeah, Naruto knew some of the details but not all. Kise probably knew more, having been on the same team and all.

"I've never experienced it myself, but his eyes are something else." Kise almost grimaced just thinking about it. "He defeated Murasakibaracchi that way and made it look easy. I'm sure he won't hesitate to use them tomorrow. In front of him, any bluffs or tricks are completely useless. When he can see the future, that sort of stuff is pretty much pointless."

Facing someone with powerful eyes…..for some reason, that made Naruto feel nostalgic. But he had no idea why.

Still, it didn't change anything for him. Nothing ever did. The goal was always the same.

"We still need to win."

Kise grinned. "But of course. I'll follow you anywhere."

Without thinking about it, the two shared a fist bump while basking in the comfort of knowing that they were going to fight together.

And not just the two of them either. They had a whole team they could count on. It didn't get any better than that.

'Naruto-kun, Kise-san…..good luck.'

Yuki merely passed on her good wishes to the two boys as she watched them from the door that connected the pool to the hotel.

She knew they could do it if they were together.

* * *

The night went and came, and before anyone knew it the time for the Inter-High finals was here. This drew in a bigger crowd than any game before it. Everyone was excited to see the Generation of Miracles clash with one another, and the buzz of a third player that could compete with the famous group was also making people more excited to come see the game in person.

Midorima was one such spectator. It was frustrating that he wasn't a part of the match, but that was neither here nor there. He would have to be satisfied with watching two of his former teammates compete tonight.

"Looks like you aren't wearing those stupid glasses today, Shin-chan."

Midorima wasn't surprised to see Takao waiting for him by the entrance of the building. A ton of other people were making their way inside, but it wasn't hard for Takao to notice him. Not with that green hair of his.

Takao shot him a grin. "Come on, the rest of the team is waiting for us."

So everyone had come tonight? Well, Midorima should have expected that. This wasn't a game anyone wanted to miss, after all.

'Kise….what will you show tonight?'

Midorima was curious to find the answer to his question. His curiosity extended to Naruto as well, not that he would admit to this.

He was dishonest like that.

* * *

"Jeez, I can't believe Aomine-kun is this late!"

Midorima and his team weren't the only ones here tonight. Momoi, along with the rest of Tōō, had kept their promise and were here to see the Inter-High to the end.

"That guy is always pissing me off," Wakamatsu said, darn near ready to curse Aomine out. "Why is he late this time?"

"I think he said he had something to do before the game," Sakurai meekly explained. "That's what he said before leaving the hotel."

Imayoshi chuckled. "Now, now. Let's just be patient. We all know Aomine can't miss this."

Almost like he was a fortune teller, Aomine emerged from the crowd as he made his way over to them.

"See? What did I tell you?" Right on the money again, Imayoshi.

Aomine raised an eyebrow as he joined them. "What the hell? Why haven't you guys gone inside yet?"

"Because of your tardy ass!" Wakamatsu pointed at him while scowling. "Why can't you ever be punctual for once!? Do you have something attached to your body that stops you from showing up on time!?"

Imayoshi shot Wakamatsu a dejected look. "Why do you always have to scream?"

"Why can't you be more like Kaijō's center?" Susa asked with the same dejected look. "Guy is always so quiet and laid back. You could learn a thing or two from him."

"H-Hey…..!"

Wakamatsu sputtered. That was hurtful!

Aomine ignored their bickering and the group started to make its way inside. Momoi was still curious about his tardiness, though. She knew it wasn't his usual "I don't care" attitude.

"Where were you, Aomine-kun? Did something happen?"

"You could say that." Aomine began to smirk. "I just had something to teach real quick. It's no big deal."

But that sounded like a huge deal! Aomine wasn't one to go out of his way to help someone. This was definitely big news!

However, Momoi knew she wasn't going to be able to get anything else from her childhood friend. He was stingy like that. She was going to have to figure this out on her own.

"Who do you think is going to win tonight, Aomine-kun?" Momoi asked a different question instead, one just as important.

Aomine's eyes narrowed a little. "Isn't that what we're here to see?"

Yes, it's why they had all come.

Tonight was more than just exciting. It was going to be the ultimate showdown.

* * *

It was like night and day, the way the finals were received compared to other games. Naruto already thought the crowds were huge when they started playing in the actual Inter-High, but this was something else entirely.

So many rows of people, so many cameras, and so much cheering.

"Hold your heads high!" Takeuchi exclaimed as he turned to them with a huge grin. "You've earned this reception tonight."

The cheering only increased when Naruto and the others in Kaijō started to walk out from their locker room and onto the court. The excitement and anticipation were clear.

Everyone was expecting a good game tonight.

"Ah, there they are!"

"It's the rising force, Kaijō High!"

"How many points will their duo ace score tonight!?"

"Oh man, I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"

Yuki had to chuckle weakly as she heard all the shouting. "We've gotten popular, huh?"

"What do you mean, Sugawara-chan?" Moriyama flipped his hair back in what he considered to be a "sexy move." "We've always been popular."

"No one is talking about you, though," Nakamura muttered, delivering a powerful diss without anyone knowing about it.

Shame.

They started to get everything set up when the shouting started to increase further. There could only be one reason for that.

Naruto and Kise turned to the other entrance into the court, and sure enough Rakuzan was trickling in.

"They're here! The strongest high school. The emperor since the beginning of time, Rakuzan High!"

"And the captain of the Generation of Miracles, Akashi Seijūrō!"

Akashi was the very definition of stoic as he led his team onto the court. It was almost like he lived for this. Like this was his nourishment, as if it was only natural that he would be surrounded by this much attention.

"Huh, no surprises there. Dude is mister cool alright." Naruto smirked. "I can't wait to break that."

Kise sweatdropped. "You say some questionable things sometimes, Uzumakicchi. Are you a sadist? Is that what this is? You're awakening to your true self?"

"I think we're past that point, Kise-san." Yuki sighed and shook her head. "You should already know what kind of character he is."

"I can slap both of you, right here and now."

Yuki pouted. "That's not how you treat a lady, Naruto-kun."

Oh please, she already knew he was kidding. He could never hit her. Kise was fair game, though.

"I feel like I'm being discriminated against here," Kise said under his breath, unsure of what to make of this feeling.

"T'ch, look at them having their little moment." Moriyama felt another cloud of despair wash over him. "Why can't I have a moment like that?"

Nakamura groaned. "Is this gonna be a thing with you now? You're always going to get depressed at the beginning of every game because Sugawara isn't giving you any attention?"

Nakamura's blunt words only sent Moriyama into another spiral of depression as he collapsed to the floor with Hayakawa rushing to his side to try and revive him.

"I think he couldn't handle the truth you presented to him," Kobori said with an embarrassed sigh.

Kasamatsu just watched all of this go down with a murderous look.

"You fools…..do you have any idea what time it is…? Playing around like this….I outta kill you all myself!"

"That's a bit harsh, captain." Naruto started to poke the downed Moriyama with his foot like he would do a corpse. "This guy here just needs to find a cute girl in the audience to get his motivation back, right?"

"He should be motivated without that!"

"Yeah, well. He's a pervert. What can you do?"

"I'm down, not dead." Moriyama raised his head to look at Naruto with a twitching eyebrow. "I can hear you loud and clear."

"That's the point."

"Urgh."

Yuki felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "This team is going to be the death of me."

Funnily enough, Kasamatsu felt the same way.

Kise just laughed. "You know you love it, Sugawaracchi. You're one of us, after all."

Being labeled like that…..well, it wasn't so bad.

After all, idiots they may be, but they were still all important idiots to her. Especially the one arguing with the corpse-looking idiot.

Yes, it was just their normal routine. And Yuki was fine with that.

"Naruto-kun." Said blond turned to her. She smiled at him. "Good luck out there, okay? I'll be cheering for you."

It's all the reassurance Naruto needed. But just to be safe, Naruto took her by the arm and pulled her closer to him.

Yuki was confused, with her face heating up. "W-What-"

"For extra good luck."

Yuki wasn't able to respond as Naruto leaned down to kiss her. It was a bold move, one that had Kise whistling.

"Smooth move, Uzumakicchi."

And he meant it too.

Moriyama looked as if he wanted to turn to ash and just blow away with the wind right then and there, while Kobori and Kasamatsu could only blush.

'Darn it, you fool.' Kasamatsu would kick him later. He didn't need to be feeling this embarrassed before a match.

As for Yuki, as surprised as she was, she still gave in and melted to the kiss.

It was definitely the best good luck charm she could give.

* * *

"Look at them, Akashi! They're pretty strong, right! They totally look strong!"

Hayama Kotarō, the small forward for Rakuzan, was bouncing with a child-like excitement as he pointed to Kaijō from their side of the the court.

"Yes, they are indeed strong." Akashi had no problems admitting to this fact as he tied his shoelaces, looking ready to step on the court and play.

"Oh, this is definitely rare." Nebuya Eikichi, the center for the team, looked at his captain with a large grin. "So you're playing right from the beginning, huh?"

"Of course. We can't underestimate them." Akashi stood up and smiled. "I already have the coach's approval."

"Heh, sounds good to me. All of our matches so far have been too easy." Their last match had been more of a challenge, but Nebuya was looking for more than that. He started to rub his stomach. "Maybe I should have eaten more."

"T'ch, you're already filthy enough." Mibuchi Reo held his nose and backed away from the more imposing looking teen. He was the shooting guard for Rakuzan. "If you eat anymore, I'm sure you'll explode."

"Ahahahaha, thanks! I'll take those words to heart!"

"They weren't supposed to be a compliment!"

These three were the Uncrowned Kings. It was almost unbelievable that three players such as them had come to the same school and for the same team. It was just stacking the odds against any opponent who dared to oppose them. And worse still, to be led by the former captain of the Generation of Miracles...

It shouldn't be understated how scary of a combination this was.

Akashi continued to smile as he took a few steps forward.

"Shall we get started?"

* * *

Kasamatsu didn't look surprised when he saw Akashi wearing the number four jersey, but it was still incredible. For a first year to already be the captain of his team…...it was practically unheard of.

'And the Uncrowned Kings are just going along with it…..t'ch, this is already making me feel uneasy.'

Kise merely looked on. He already knew the type of person Akashi was, so him being the captain was only natural in his mind.

Both teams had their starting players announced onto the court. It was a tradition that only happened during the finals. It was during this time that Naruto took notice of the fifth player in Rakuzan's roster.

'Mayuzumi Chihiro….'

He was the only third year in the team, but he didn't stand out at all unlike the others. If it wasn't for the announcer calling him out, Naruto probably wouldn't have noticed him.

How strange.

Kise had a similar feeling, and it only made him more uneasy about an already troublesome situation.

"It's good to see you again, Ryōta." Akashi stepped to the center line, as did both Naruto and Kise. The latter were in their blue and white uniforms today to contrast Rakuzan's white and pale blue colors.

"Akashicchi," Kise said in return, making sure to mask any and all emotions from his face.

"If I'm being perfectly honest, I didn't think I would be facing you today," Akashi said, his voice utterly calm. "The possibility was one of the lowest in my calculations. But I suppose this has been a surprising tournament, hasn't it?"

In more ways than one.

"Is that all you have to say?" Naruto stepped forward with a glare. "You better not have forgotten about our talk yesterday."

"There is no way I could forget, Uzumaki Naruto." Akashi's face didn't change, but it was clear from his tone that he was not pleased. "But be warned. I don't allow those who stand against me to look down on me. Not even my parents."

"You sure have a way of hyping yourself up." Naruto scowled. "I'll be more than happy to fix that for you."

"Sorry, but there is no need for that." A smile broke out on Akashi's face, only this one looked more deranged than anything else. "Like I said, I am the absolute. My words are always right because I always win. That's how it works in this world."

"There's a first time for everything." Naruto cracked his neck. "There's no need to worry. I don't mind teaching you."

Kise said nothing. There was nothing for him to add. Not just that, but he already knew what this would accomplish.

"Is that so?" Akashi turned back to his team. "Then come and show me what 'defeat' is. If you can."

Nothing. It was going to accomplish nothing. It would come down to basketball, and who the winner was.

That's why Kise was determined to win.

* * *

The cheering increased for a third time as Naruto and Nebuya took their spots in the center circle, ready for the tip-off. Everyone else got to their positions as well.

Nebuya seemed excited by this. "So it's true, what Akashi said. You really like to play it rough, don't you?"

"Something like that, yeah." Naruto pointed at him. "You're not my target, but your captain has put me in a bad mood. Right now, I'm ready to crush through anyone. You better not underestimate me."

"Ha, I wouldn't dream of it." Nebuya smirked. "Not you."

Akashi must have told them about him then, or maybe they already knew. Either way, it didn't make much difference to Naruto.

But he wasn't the only one who was excited about starting the game. Hayama already knew that his mark was Naruto, and he was excited to see what the blond could do in person.

Mibuchi didn't mind his opponent for today either, shooting Moriyama a wink.

"Don't worry, I'll treat you just nice for today, Moriyama-chan."

Moriyama shuddered but still said, "T-Thanks?"

What else was he supposed to say to that?

Most of all, Kasamatsu and Akashi were having a small stare down of their own. As point guards, they were going to clash first. But anything could happen in this game, and Kasamatsu knew that Akashi wouldn't hesitate to change marks if need be.

Only Kise was having trouble finding his motivation against his immediate opponent.

'I don't get this guy's deal….'

He was of course talking about Mayuzumi. Kise didn't know why, but he felt like he had met the guy before. Or at the very least that he was very familiar.

But why?

There was no more time for thinking as the referee joined them, the ball in hand.

"Now, the Inter-High's final game between Kaijō High and Rakuzan High will now begin!"

The cheering only got louder.

* * *

It had been a long day of practice for Kuroko and the others at Seirin. They had just returned from their training camp, but after seeing the Kaijō/Tōō match, they had all been motivated to train further and harder. They all knew they needed to catch up if they were going to win, and they couldn't do that by taking it easy.

Kagami especially, although he said he had an announcement to make to them later. Even Kuroko didn't know what he was planning, but they would find out sooner or later.

Still, Kuroko was a bit on edge tonight. Not because of practice or anything like that. No, it was because he knew that the Inter-High finals was taking place tonight.

Who was taking part? Did Akashi win against Murasakibara, or did the reverse happen? And what about Kise and Naruto? Did they manage to defeat their opponent too?

Kuroko had many questions, but unfortunately he wasn't there to see them answered. Not that it would make much of a difference. Regardless of what happens, he wasn't a part of it.

'But this winter….'

He vowed to change that. As he stepped out into the night, he made that promise to himself with all the shining stars present.

His curiosity remained, though. Who would win the Inter-High?

Kuroko wouldn't get his answer until much later.

* * *

The tip-off was underway, and with it the match finally began.

Both Naruto and Nebuya took to the air with impeccable timing, with the latter screaming as loud as he could to further motivate himself.

'So loud.' Naruto resisted the urge to turn away from the screaming Nebuya, which was a very hard thing to do. The guy was even louder than Wakamatsu, a feat which wasn't easy to pull off.

The two touched the ball at the same time, and under normal circumstances this would result in the ball flying randomly as it was smacked from two different sides.

But Nebuya was looking for the win here and he expected it too. Imagine his surprise when Naruto managed to overpower his push on the ball. This had the ball spinning straight to Kise, who happily caught it.

'How the hell-!?'

Nebuya couldn't hide his disbelief. Contrary to what he had said earlier, fact of the matter was that he had been looking down on Naruto. This was because Naruto didn't seem to have any strong muscles on him. At least, nothing compared to what Nebuya was packing. That's why he had been expecting to easily overpower the blond, chalking up all the talks about Naruto's supposed incredible strength as nothing more than silly rumors.

He was regretting that right now.

With the ball in his possession, Kise quickly took down the court, easily bypassing the silent Mayuzumi.

"A fast break already!"

"Looks like Kaijō is going to score the first points!"

Kise was thinking the same thing too, since the hoop was totally undefended. But then Hayama arrived at the last second for the defense, grinning widely.

"Alright, a one-on-one!" he exclaimed loudly, his snaggletooth happily sticking out from the right corner of his mouth.

Kise debated just going right through the guy, but he played it safe and passed over his shoulder.

'Huh?' Hayama was confused by the pass. He was sure there was no one there.

But in the blink of an eye, Naruto was in the right spot to catch the pass and shoot straight for the hoop.

"Not going to let you!" Remarkably, Nebuya managed to catch up and jump just in time to try and stop Naruto from dunking.

Unlike Kise, Naruto didn't bother with niceties and did exactly what he said he would.

Nebuya found himself pushed aside as Naruto dunked right through his defense, with the crowd loving every second of it.

"There it is, the first dunk!"

"It's totally unstoppable!"

If Nebuya was surprised before, now he was just ticked off. Twice in a row the blond was able to defeat him with strength alone.

'How can he have so much raw strength?'

It was unbelievable that someone with Naruto's built had defeated him like this, but it happened.

"I told you, you're not my target but I have no problems crushing you either." Naruto turned to the bigger player with cold eyes. "I'm very angry right now."

Nebuya felt his heart stop for a second. Naruto was different from the average player. That very fact was engraved into his very soul at that moment.

"Well, well." Unlike Nebuya, Akashi was calm and collected. "He's already giving it his all, isn't he?"

It was just the way Akashi wanted it.

And like that, the Inter-High finals were underway. It was Kaijō versus Rakuzan. Who would win?

This match was only just starting.

* * *

 **There will be "slow-down" chapters, if you want to call them that. Characters just hanging out and not playing basketball and all that junk. Some people were asking about that. I just want to get through the Inter-High as quickly as I can since the real story doesn't start until the Winter Cup.**

 **But yeah, we finally get to the big climax of the Inter-High. Who will come out on top this time? Place your bets. Personally, my money is Takao winning everything. Don't ask me how, I just have a feeling.**

 **Anyway, that's all from me. Expect the match to start heating up next chapter.**

 **Till next time.**


	13. The New Phantom on the Court

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12:  
** **The New Phantom on the Court**

"Eikichi."

Nebuya felt a cold sweat drip from his brow when he heard Akashi's calm voice call out his name. For he knew that underneath the calmness was a monster that could very well be unleashed against him. And considering what had just happened, that could be his fate.

"A-Akashi, I-"

"I don't want to hear it." Akashi narrowed his eyes somewhat, a clear sign that he was not pleased. "I believe I already explained the situation to you. Is your arrogance so big that you can't even heed my words?"

Nebuya had messed up. Twice. They were big mistakes. Worse, they were mistakes that could have been avoided if he hadn't let his pride get in the way.

In front of all this, he could only do one thing.

"I apologize." Nebuya bowed his head. "I'll be more careful next time."

There were no excuses to be made. He should have taken Naruto more seriously. That's all there was to it.

Akashi kept his eyes on him for a few seconds longer before feeling satisfied. Their difference in stature didn't mean anything. Akashi was the one in control here.

Hayama and Mibuchi merely watched the exchange in silence, not daring to step in. Mayuzumi showed no reaction, but it was clear that he paid close attention to Akashi's words as well.

This was not going to be like their previous games. Any mistakes, no matter how small, could not be tolerated.

On the Kaijō side, Kise wasn't surprised by the exchange at all. If anything, it was nostalgic to him. It was the way Akashi had commanded them, the Generation of Miracles, in the past.

'No doubt about it.' Moriyama glared at the Rakuzan players. 'He's no ordinary player.'

Commanding people with such authority like that, and the Uncrowned Kings no less. Well, no normal person could do that.

Naruto didn't care for this as much. Like Kise, he wasn't surprised. That's because he already expected something like this from the redhead. It was the only way to explain how he could lead such a powerful force. He had to be a powerful leader.

'Let's just do this.'

The first play had been made. It was time to continue.

* * *

Kaijō had managed to take the initiative and score the first points of the game. It was a good start, but they couldn't relax.

'Akashi won't be fazed by something like that,' Aomine thought from his seat.

A bigger impact was going to be needed for that.

Midorima was having similar thoughts, his eyes fixated on the match below.

Next to him, Takao was a lot more relaxed, a small grin on his face.

'Leave it to Uzumaki-senpai to open up like that.'

He was loving it.

On the court, the ball was on the move again. It was Rakuzan's play. Mibuchi threw it to Akashi, who effortlessly caught it before dribbling down the court with the others following suit.

Naruto wanted to jump in right away to crush him, but he held himself back. He was feeling restless, true, but he knew he couldn't go against their formation.

Not right now.

No, the one who stood in Akashi's way was Kasamatsu. Like during the tip-off, the two had a small staring contest. And sure enough, Kasamatsu confirmed that he was dealing with someone dangerous.

'He's so calm and collected…..he's got the aura of a so-called emperor alright.'

It was hard to believe that Akashi was a mere first year, but that wouldn't stop Kasamatsu from giving it his all.

Akashi merely stared at Kasamatsu, his face indifferent. If he had any fighting spirit, he wasn't showing it.

The two kept the stare-off for a second or so longer before Akashi sprung into action. He dipped to Kasamatsu's left, which Kasamatsu was able to read. He moved in that direction to cut off the redhead, but then Akashi cut back and sprinted for the right. He did this with the utmost precision, and no movements were wasted.

'Fast!' Kasamatsu had to acknowledge that much, but despite that he was still able to scurry back to once again cut off Akashi from his intended path.

Akashi saw this and immediately came to a halt. It almost seemed like Kasamatsu had the upper hand, but undeterred Akashi simply passed to his right, where Mibuchi was waiting for the catch.

'This guy, he didn't even turn to look at him.' Kasamatsu acknowledged something else about Akashi here: the redhead had superb field vision and awareness. He was definitely made to be a point guard. However…..

'I thought he would be much faster…..'

Kasamatsu was hit with another bad feeling, but he had to let it go for now.

As soon as the ball was in his hands, Mibuchi was already setting up for a simple three. However, he hesitated for a split second when he saw Moriyama already jumping for the block.

'He doesn't hold back, does he?'

Were all these Kaijō boys the same?

Mibuchi smiled to himself. It was early, but after seeing Naruto's opening move he was feeling a little bold. Why not open up with a little surprise of their own?

Moriyama's confidence took a hit when he saw Mibuchi quickly switch his form. It was nothing to scoff at. It was like watching a master swordsman move into a different fighting stance. That's how elegant it was.

It spelled trouble for him, though.

'It's a fake!'

Mibuchi wasn't going for a normal three anymore. Instead, he ducked down at the last moment while Moriyama was already in the air for an attempted block. It wouldn't have been so bad if things had ended there. But Mibuchi was nothing if not ambitious.

He jumped straight into Moriyama, forcing contact between the two. It was an obvious foul, and Moriyama's spirit was crushed further when he heard the whistle blown.

"That's not it at all." Moriyama's tense face met Mibuchi's smiling one. "When I attack, I always want more. I'm quite the greedy person, even if I don't look it."

He finished this off by still shooting the three. Moriyama watched the ball descend into the net. It hit the rim first, so it wasn't a clean shot. But it still went in.

A foul on a three-pointer. Everyone knew what that meant.

"A four-point play." Takao was no longer smiling. He was now frowning in a similar manner to Midorima. "What the hell did that guy just do?"

Midorima pushed his glasses back up his nose as he focused his gaze on the smiling Mibuchi. 'So that's one of the Uncrowned Kings. The one they call _Yaksha_.'

The rumors were true. He was a terrifying shooter. Midorima had to concede as much after that one play.

Moriyama looked crestfallen as the referee called out the foul. That changed when Naruto came up behind him to slap him in the back, hard. Moriyama fell forward, and almost stumbled to the floor if he didn't catch himself at the last second.

"What the-!" He placed a hand on his back while shooting Naruto a glare. "What was that for!?"

It seriously hurt! Damn blond had super strength or something.

"You were looking glum, that's why." Naruto gestured to Mibuchi. "He just issued you a challenge. You're not going to take that lying down, are you?"

Because if so, Naruto was going to be disappointed.

Moriyama understood what the blond was getting at, and all the pain he felt from the slap left him. It was transformed into a burning motivation that needed to be quenched.

"Yeah."

Was he going to back down just because his opponent was an Uncrowned King? Hell no. Stressing over stuff like that was not his style.

Moriyama was going to get his revenge, sooner or later.

* * *

"He made it!"

"That's four points!"

"Rakuzan doubled the score in one play!"

"That's the emperor for you!"

The crowd was more or less on Rakuzan's side as Mibuchi easily made his free throw.

"Nice one, Big Sis Reo!" Hayama gave the shooting guard a thumbs up as they fell back.

"I guess I let myself get carried away there." Mibuchi was still smiling as he glanced back to Moriyama. "But I think they got the message."

Akashi wasn't complaining. If anything, this fit more or less into his plans. Right now, they were going to test and possibly exploit Kaijō's weak spots. It was a way to test the waters before they got serious

'They're really looking down on me, huh?' Moriyama was realizing what Rakuzan was planning, and it only pissed him off further.

"I guess they don't know who they're dealing with." Kise threw the ball back in, and it fell to Kasamatsu.

It was their turn to strike back.

Kaijō moved fast down the court, and it only further added to the momentum of the game. They weren't going to let themselves get caught up in Rakuzan's rhythm.

"Ahahaha, they're not wasting any time, huh?" Imayoshi was loving every second of this.

Kasamatsu was soon coming face-to-face with Akashi. There were many things he wanted to do right now, but his personal vendetta came second to winning this game.

That's why he drove forward. To any onlooker, it was as if he was going to use his super charged drive on Akashi. But Kasamatsu wasn't attempting that yet. Rather, when Akashi took the bait, he went for the pass back to Kise who was ready.

Unlike before, Kise had no qualms going in by himself as Mayuzumi was the one who had to defend against him. The silver-haired third year wasn't able to keep up with Kise's speed at all, and with a simple crossover Kise was already shooting past him.

"T'ch, useless!" Nebuya was forced to dash forward to try and stop Kise from making his shot. This left Kobori unmarked, a fact Kise used to his advantage as he faked a jump shot for an alley-oop to Kobori.

Nebuya was only able to turn his head back just in time to see Kobori dunk.

"Ooooooohhhh! Kaijō isn't falling behind!"

"They're facing the emperor head on!"

The crowd's reaction changed again, and Yuki knew that that was probably going to be happening a lot in this game.

"Oh?" Akashi still didn't seem fazed at all. "Looks like they're attempting something similar."

"Don't misunderstand." Akashi turned to Kasamatsu who was shooting him a small glare. "Unlike you, we're not afraid to put all our cards on the table right from the beginning."

Kasamatsu's point was only proven further in the next possession as he and Akashi stood against one another again.

"We're ready anytime. Do your worst."

Those words put a small smile on Akashi's face. It wasn't a pleasant one, though. It was more of a distorted one, a borderline sneer. Like he was looking at a child trying to act out.

That sort of smile.

It really did irritate Kasamatsu, and that irritation only grew when Akashi simply passed again instead of attacking head on.

Akashi then passed again, and it went to Mibuchi who was more than happy to have the ball.

Moriyama narrowed his eyes at this. "So you're coming again."

Mibuchi chuckled. "Don't hate me for this, Moriyama-chan."

This time, Moriyama didn't shiver or anything. He simply stood his ground, ready to intercept whatever Mibuchi threw at him. However, Moriyama had put a greater distance between him and Mibuchi as a countermeasure against that earlier shot.

Mibuchi was more than happy with this setup as he jumped high while also performing a fadeaway at the same time. In response, Moriyama tried to desperately block the shot that was coming, but he was too far away for that.

The three went in, hitting nothing but the net.

'What the hell!?' Moriyama was understandably annoyed by this. 'He can shoot that way too!?'

"Incredible." Sakurai had to admire the shot as well. "To be able to perform something like that is no easy feat. You have to control and maintain your center of gravity while in midair. And it's not his only shot….."

Sakurai knew that he couldn't do something like that.

"Well, it's a clear show of skill." Imayoshi was more humorous about the situation. Why shouldn't he be? He was only a spectator here. "Rakuzan wants to show that their team is better. And they're not wasting anytime in doing that."

Aomine had arrived to that conclusion as well.

'What are you going to do about this, Uzumaki?'

It better not be a half-assed response. That wouldn't cut it here.

* * *

Down in the bench area, Yuki was worried as she saw all of this.

"Moriyama-san…."

Being beaten twice in a row like this. Was he going to be okay?

"Don't fret, Sugawara." Takeuchi had his arms crossed as he faced forward, not an ounce of weakness or doubt present on him. "Moriyama isn't that weak. None of them are. Have more faith in this team, won't you?"

Nakamura and Hayakawa both looked at her with knowing smiles.

Yuki had no choice but to return them. Because she had to. It was as Takeuchi said. It wasn't just Naruto and Kise that made up this team. The others were fighting too, and they wouldn't give up so easily.

Naruto knew this too, which is why he wasn't worried about Moriyama. He knew the guy could, no, that he _would_ bounce back from this. He was more focused on his opposition as the ball was handed to him.

"Oh, so you're finally coming." Unlike Nebuya, Hayama was more than thrilled to take Naruto on. The giant grin on his face was proof of that. "I was starting to get worried that you had lost your fighting spirit from earlier. I need to make sure I pay you back for embarrassing us."

'This guy….'

Naruto couldn't get a read on him at all. Well, whatever. That mattered very little right now.

Almost like he was changing personalities, Hayama's aura changed as he doubled down on his defense. Naruto's eyes widened a little when he felt this. It was a very familiar feeling, after all. It was a wild instinct, something Naruto had only seen in Aomine so far.

Up in his seat, Aomine sensed the same thing.

Seriously, all these Uncrowned Kings were a pain in the ass.

This didn't make Naruto falter at all, though. He took a deep breath before he was charging in.

'Uwah, so quick!' Hayama saw how Naruto was able to change his speed from zero to max with one quick move. He had never faced anyone who could do something like that before, but that only made him more excited.

He stepped in the way of Naruto's drive, but Naruto was already one move ahead as he dribbled the ball behind his back so that he could dash in the other direction. It was in the same level as Akashi's cut back from earlier, and Hayama almost fell in love with the move right then and there.

'This guy can dribble….!'

It was high praise coming from him. Unfortunately, with all his admiration and Naruto's otherworldly speed, he was left behind as Naruto was already dribbling for the basket.

Nebuya hesitated to move as he shot Kobori a glare. He couldn't afford to leave this guy open, not unless he wanted a repeat of last time.

That's why Naruto was left undefended as he scored his second dunk of the game.

And the crowd loved it even more.

The other players in Rakuzan didn't feel the same way, though.

"What the hell was that!?" Nebuya growled as he looked at the sheepish Hayama. "He got past you too easily!"

"Are you sure about that?" Mibuchi's eyes went to Naruto who was exchanging a high-five with Kobori. "That guy can't be stopped by natural means, you know."

Nebuya couldn't really argue with that.

"It's something we have to accept for now." Akashi got their attention. The redhead wasn't looking concerned. "We continue as is."

The others all nodded, putting their faith in Akashi. He had never let them down, and they had no reason to believe he would start now.

* * *

The momentum wasn't slowed, and the ball was live again. As it was Rakuzan's play, the same pattern from before was followed, and the ball was passed to Mibuchi.

'Not again!' Yuki almost groaned when she saw this.

"They're total sadists, aren't they?" Imayoshi said, his glasses glinting. "Going that route again….."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Aomine replied, shrugging. It was boring, sure, but it was getting them somewhere.

But even so, he knew things wouldn't go this way forever.

Mibuchi was smiling again as he prepared his attack on Moriyama, who was in the total opposite mood. He didn't know what to do. Trying to predict Mibuchi's shot…...could he even do something like that?

There was no time for him to think as Mibuchi was already on the move, his hands gripping the ball tightly. From the way he was positioned, it looked like he was definitely going for the three. But what if it was another fake!?

Moriyama couldn't come to a decision, and Mibuchi was sure he could get away with shooting just a normal three-pointer. His other shots were tiring, and he'd rather not blow all his stamina in the first quarter.

That sense of comfort left him when the ball was suddenly smacked out of his hands, though, and by Naruto of all people.

Mibuchi was more than just surprised. He was downright dumbfounded. 'When did he-!?'

"You're making me frustrated just looking at you!" the blond shouted to Moriyama. "Do something already!"

'I think you already did something, Uzumakicchi,' Kise thought with a small sweatdrop before jumping into action. He made for the now free ball, with Mayuzumi attempting to keep up with him. Their difference in speed had already been made clear before, and it was no different now.

Kise was able to scoop up the ball before throwing it all the way down the court where Naruto already was. His fellow blond caught it, but he wasn't unmarked as Hayama was right there for the block.

"Not so fast!"

Hayama was determined to stop Naruto this time, but there was no need for that as Naruto was already throwing a pass Moriyama's way.

Now, it was Mibuchi who had to guard against Moriyama's offensive. The Uncrowned King was still a bit shaken up by Naruto's sudden attack, but he wasn't going to let it slow him down here. But like him, Moriyama had a special shot of his own.

When Moriyama started to go for his Unorthodox Shot, Mibuchi was put on edge.

'What kind of form is that?'

Mibuchi found himself unable to time his reaction properly, and by the time he was trying to slap the ball out of Moriyama's hands it had already been launched into the air.

It was totally bizarre. Mibuchi was sure that such a shot could never go in, but he saw with his own eyes how the ball went right through the net, not hitting the rim or anything.

The spectators burst into cheers, more than happy to see the Moriyama fighting back.

"You may be an Uncrowned King, but let me tell you this." Mibuchi found himself on the receiving end of a powerful glare from Moriyama. "We're still going to win."

"Eh, is that so?" Mibuchi gained a small tic mark in response, looking put off by this.

"Looks like Big Sis Reo is getting serious now," Hayama said, somewhat amused by Mibuchi's reaction.

"I don't know what you mean." Mibuchi wiped some of the sweat off his face with his jersey, his eyes darkening somewhat. "I'm always serious, no matter who I'm facing."

Be that a mouse or a tiger. It made no difference to him. He would squash them all the same. He was very different from Hayama in that regard, who could only play seriously against tough opponents.

Akashi stepped towards them.

"That may be so, but I think it's time we performed some countermeasures."

The other four players looked at one another. This was different from what Akashi had said earlier.

It was a bit early indeed, but Akashi was now certain that he couldn't wait any longer. His hand was being forced, but it didn't matter in the end.

He would still come out victorious.

* * *

"It's definitely strange." Yuki turned to Nakamura who was looking at Naruto and Moriyama as the two boys traded fist bumps with one another. "Those two are always arguing with one another, but when they're on the court they can play really well together. It's like they're different people."

Yuki gained a small smile in response, nodding.

"Yes…."

It made her more than happy to see that.

* * *

"I'm sure that little play made them more motivated, but the fundamental problem still remains." As usual, Imayoshi was more than happy to ruin the parade and look at the situation more critically. "That shooting guard can't stop Mibuchi. That's plain to see. As long as that hole exists, Rakuzan can exploit it over and over again."

"Ha, you really have a terrible personality, four eyes."

Aomine's comment made Imayoshi pout a little.

"You don't have to put it that way."

'I think he does,' Susa thought but kept this to himself in favor of listening to Aomine.

"It's true that, overall, Rakuzan probably has the better players." Aomine smirked as he looked down at Naruto and Kise. "But you shouldn't underestimate those two. They can fill any gap they need to."

Momoi wasn't so sure. "Ki-kun might have been able to stop Mibuchi-san just now, but I don't think Akashi-kun is going to let that happen again."

"Maybe." Aomine shrugged. "But you're underestimating that idiot."

Momoi still didn't look convinced, but if anyone could pull a miracle here than it was Naruto.

* * *

The mood was more tense than before on the court as the next play started. Kaijō had been able to break the balance, and the momentum was on their side for sure. At this rate, it was forgiven if anyone thought that the first quarter was going to belong to Kaijō.

But Akashi wasn't one to let such offenses go unpunished. He needed to remind everyone here the difference in status between him and everyone else.

Kasamatsu glowered when he saw who was on him now.

"Hayama."

Said player simply grinned at him.

Their marks had been switched, and as expected it was Akashi who stood before Naruto now.

"So you finally came."

Akashi allowed himself to smile a little. "You've been getting carried away, Uzumaki Naruto. I think it's about time I start bringing you down."

Kise looked over to them, and the worry was clear in his eyes.

'Uzumakicchi….'

It was the same worry that was present in Yuki as she gripped the hem of her skirt.

'So it's finally time…..'

It was just as they had planned.

* * *

" _What did you just say, Uzumakicchi!?"_

" _I know you're an idiot, but this goes beyond normal idiocy."_

" _I can still punch you, Moriyama."_

 _They were in their locker room, and with the game almost upon them. But before they stepped out, Naruto had one thing he needed to tell the others._

 _Which led to this current argument._

" _But Moriyama's right." Scowling, Kasamatsu said, "What you're suggesting is suicidal. If you had Kise along with you, then we would understand. But this is-"_

" _It's the best option if you ask me." Naruto wasn't discouraged. He knew it may sound stupid, but still. It needed to be done. "I'm not going to be fighting alone. I'll simply be creating a push, one that will have a lasting impact."_

" _It's still suicidal, though." Nakamura shook his head. "Do you think you can take Akashi alone? After what Kise told us-"_

" _It's a gamble." Naruto knew that too. Going against Akashi's eyes….it was probably going to be like nothing else he had faced so far. But it still needed to be done. "I'm thinking about the team. Out of the two of us, I have more stamina than Kise. I will last longer. If Kise blows out too soon, we'll be in a position we might not be able to recover from."_

 _It was true. After all, it wasn't just Akashi they needed to worry about. There was the Uncrowned Kings too. If they lost Kise, facing such a force would be much harder for them._

 _Kise was still not happy about this, though. "Even if it's just for me, do you really think you can win?"_

" _Ha? Don't underestimate me, you idiot." Naruto almost threw his water bottle at the model again. "Remember what Aomine told us. As long as we have our bond, there's no way I can lose."_

" _Naruto-kun…." Yuki was just as worried as the others, but after hearing those words there was no way she could doubt Naruto now._

 _Besides, he was totally serious about this. No one was going to be able to talk him out of it._

" _H'mph, I can't say I wholeheartedly agree with this plan, but it's the best we got." They all turned to Takeuchi who had his arms crossed. "Considering what Kise told us, Akashi will be testing us throughout the first quarter. Trying to find our weaknesses and make perfect use of them later on. That's the kind of player he's bound to be. In face of that strategy, there's only one way we can respond."_

 _They had to take the initiative and score as much as possible before Rakuzan had a chance to organize their strategy. They needed an ambush._

" _T'ch, if that's your decision, coach." Kasamatsu wasn't entirely pleased with this whole thing, but he would follow the coach's orders. Besides, he knew that Naruto and Kise were the only ones who could face that guy down. He would be giving it his all, of course, but he was also a realist._

" _Then what?" Kobori asked. "How do you plan on luring Akashi in?"_

 _Naruto smirked._

" _Easy. I just have to get his attention."_

* * *

Akashi couldn't resist stopping Naruto from interfering with the other plays. That's why he was here now, just as Naruto expected. Naruto also suspected that the redhead was ready to double team Kise if it came down to it as well, but there would be no need for that.

Right now, he was the main target.

And Naruto was happy with that.

Hayama was once again grinning as he now faced Kasamatsu, the ball in his grip.

"I wanted to get my revenge on Uzumaki for passing me up, but I guess you'll have to do."

Kasamatsu didn't rise to the bait and kept his cool. Mibuchi had already shown some of his skills, but Hayama hadn't done anything but play defense so far. Kasamatsu was sure there was more to Hayama than just wild instincts.

Whatever it was, he had to be ready.

"Hmm, I guess four will do with you," Hayama muttered as he gripped the ball tighter.

'Four…..?' Kasamatsu didn't get it, but he had other problems to worry about. Such as the dribble that Hayama started to use all of a sudden. It was loud, louder than anything else Kasamatsu had heard in all his years playing basketball.

He wasn't the only one who heard it. Pretty much every player and audience member were affected by this.

"What the hell?" Wakamatsu held his ears as he winced. "What the hell is up with that dribble!?"

'They say it's better to dribble the ball harder, since it makes it faster and harder to steal,' Takao thought, wincing just as much as everyone else. 'But still…..how loud is that!?'

There was such a thing as going overboard, ya know!

Despite the pain in his ears, Kasamatsu kept his eyes on the ball the whole time. Or at least, he tried to.

'No…..my eyes…...they can't follow it!'

It was embarrassing, but it was the total truth. Unbelievable too. The ball was in front of him one second, but then it was gone. And so was Hayama.

Hayama looked determined and smug as he passed by Kasamatsu. It was one of his more straightforward drives, but he was confident it was all he needed against Kasamatsu.

And he was right, as Kasamatsu was unable to respond in time. He knew his defense wasn't as good as Nakamura's, but to be passed so easily like this…..Kasamatsu hadn't felt this frustrated in a long time.

It wasn't just that either. Kasamatsu had been able to see the number of fingers Hayama had been using just now. There were only four fingers, which meant that only four of the five fingers were transferring Hayama's power onto the ball.

In simpler terms, that already powerful dribble still had another level to go!

With Kasamatsu behind him, Hayama headed for the finish line. Kobori was there, but so was Nebuya. Under these circumstances, Kobori knew he was a in losing position.

Thankfully, that changed for him as Kise arrived at the scene for the block just as Hayama was going for the layup.

'What the-!' Hayama was more than just a little surprised when Kise knocked the ball out of his hands. 'How did he get here so quickly!?'

It wasn't just Naruto's speed they had to worry about, but also Kise's it seemed.

"Nice one!" Kobori was more than happy to take the free ball.

Nebuya attempted to block the pass that was coming, but he was a whole step behind which left Kobori free to launch the ball down court.

"Oh? Are you sure you want to do that?" Even before the ball reached its target, Imayoshi already knew what was coming. Kaijō had more than just guts to attempt this already.

Both Midorima and Aomine were of the same mind, but they were also very excited to see what came of this.

The new buzz was understandable as the ball reached Naruto's hands, with Akashi still marking him.

"The aces of both teams….." Yeah, Imayoshi considered Naruto to be the true ace for Kaijō. No offense to Kise, but he saw more charisma and skill in the rugged looking blond. Regardless, it was the face-off between two high level players.

What would come of this?

"This will have a big impact on the game, one way or another," Miyaji Kiyoshi said. He was a third year and the small forward for Shūtoku.

Down below, the atmosphere dropped several degrees as Naruto and Akashi prepared themselves.

"Come, Uzumaki Naruto."

Akashi might not have used his eyes so far, but that was about to change. It wasn't what he had planned, but he had also foreseen this as a possibility. He was more than ready to cut the momentum that Naruto was trying to create.

Naruto was simply excited and on the warpath, as it were. This was the exact moment he had been so impatiently waiting for.

* * *

" _What did you call me out here for, Kise? And what the hell is he doing here?"_

" _That's my line. You didn't tell me anything about this. I thought we were going to talk about our celebratory ramen after we win the finals."_

 _Kise found himself in the middle of two very annoyed people. Aomine was on one end, and Naruto on the other. It hadn't been easy to get them here, but he had managed it somehow.  
_

" _We have an important question to ask you, Aominecchi."_

 _Naruto scowled. "Speak for yourself."_

" _Look, I'm serious!" Kise wasn't going to let their petty rivalry get in the way here. "If we want to win against Akashicchi tonight, then we need Aominecchi's help."_

 _Naruto gave him an unconvincing stare, but he relented. "Fine, I'll bite. Just this once. What are you talking about?"_

" _I can already figure it out." There was only one reason Kise would come to him, and Aomine knew what it was. "Zone. You want to know how to access it again."_

 _Naruto looked curious now. "I thought it was random? That you couldn't control it?"_

 _That's what Yuki had explained to him after her research anyway._

" _Typically it is." Aomine sighed, looking a bit put off by this whole situation himself. He had just lost to these guys, and now he was helping them. What a world this was. "But if you can find your trigger, then you can enter that state whenever you want."_

 _There was also the physical requirements that needed to be met, but Aomine was positive that Naruto and Kise met them. So there was no reason to go over them._

" _A trigger?" Naruto was trying to wrap his head around this. "What kind of trigger?"_

" _The whole reason you two were able to enter that state in the first place. What you were focused on back when you were facing me. That should give you your answer."_

 _For Aomine, it was as simple as facing a tough opponent. He needed that challenge, that sense of excitement. However, that was the case only for him. There were different triggers for different people, and he knew that Naruto's and Kise's were different from his._

 _Naruto and Kise shared a look. They were thinking the same thing._

' _How I felt that time….' Naruto turned back to Aomine. "So we just have to focus on that?"_

" _Basically. Immerse yourself in that emotion. Let it consume you and your play." Aomine then paused here. "But there is a catch. If you let yourself get distracted, if you start to lose focus and worry about other things, then you'll slowly start to exit that state."_

 _Since you were deliberately entering the Zone, that was a risk that was always present. You had to keep yourself focused, after all. It wasn't the same as entering it by accident, where you're already with that mindset._

" _That's easy enough I suppose." Kise smiled. "Thanks for the help, Aominecchi."_

" _Don't think it's for free, you idiot." Aomine walked past them. "In exchange, make sure you win against Akashi. No matter what."_

 _Naruto shot him a smirk._

" _That's easy enough to do."_

* * *

What Aomine taught them…..it was time to put it to the test.

There was another shift in the air, only this time it was coming directly from Naruto. Everyone on the court could sense it. Even as high-level as the Uncrowned Kings were, it still made them shiver in slight terror.

Akashi was the one who felt it the most, though, since he was standing the closest to the blond. He wasn't afraid, however. No, he was simply caught completely caught off-guard when Naruto shot past him like a bullet. He wasn't able to move an inch to try and stop him.

'This is….!'

There was only one explanation for this.

"Heh, so the idiot did it." Aomine couldn't help but smirk at the display. "But to think you're already going for it….."

No, that was probably why.

'How did he-!' Nebuya was just as shocked as Akashi when he saw Naruto get past the redhead's defense in a single move. By this point, the others had already managed to catch up with the two and were on Rakuzan's side of the court.

With no time to think, Nebuya attempted to cut off Naruto from the dunk that was clearly coming.

But there was no stopping it.

Like before, Naruto didn't hesitate to dunk right through Nebuya, who watched with wide eyes as Naruto casually flew over him.

"He got through both of them!"

"No one can stop his dunks!"

The excitement only grew in the audience while Naruto descended back to the ground.

Akashi turned to Naruto, his surprise from before now under control. It had come a lot sooner than he expected, but it seemed as though Kaijō was willing to start this game high.

Kasamatsu hadn't been kidding around.

'So.' Akashi narrowed his eyes. 'It's Zone.'

Orange sparks of electricity shot out from Naruto's eyes as he faced Akashi and the others.

It was time for the ambush to commence.

* * *

Nebuya was looking worried as he threw the ball back in. Usually, the coach would have called a time out for this. However, it seemed like Akashi had different plans as he headed straight for Naruto who was more than eager to face him.

'Akashi, he's already looking to settle the score,' Hayama thought when he saw this.

It was unusual for Akashi to be this hasty, but that just meant that Naruto had angered him that much. Akashi's next words only proved him right.

"It seems you're forgetting your place here," the redhead said as he and Naruto stood face-to-face.

Imayoshi leaned in from where he sat. "I'm getting the tingles here."

Naruto might have been able to trick Akashi before, but that wasn't happening a second time. If the blond wanted to truly crush Akashi, then now was the time. In other words….

'It's Uzumaki vs. Akashi….'

It was the real showdown.

All the others on the court watched with growing anticipation. Kise was the most anxious of them, his eyes never leaving the pair.

Yuki shared that distress, her hands clenched over her chest. But she had to have faith that everything would go well. If not, it would be like betraying Naruto and everyone else.

Naruto was feeling more than confident, however. His success just now had bolstered that confidence. He was sure he could take Akashi's offense.

"H'mph, don't insult me." Akashi moved forward just as his eyes started to display a glowing ring around both irises. "I'm going to make you move."

Their movements were fast. Akashi dove for Naruto's left, making the blond turn in that direction just as the redhead started to move. It was clear that, in Zone, Naruto's natural senses were increased tenfold.

'He predicted it!' Yuki was quick to cheer, but that proved to be a mistake on her part.

Akashi had already predicted Naruto's moves as well, all thanks to his eyes. That's why he quickly cut back in the other direction, dribbling the ball between his legs in one swift move.

Naruto saw this and made to follow, but as he did he found himself tripping over his own foot. It was at the moment he cut back to pursue Akashi. Even in Zone, he was caught too unprepared by this to react properly.

Naruto fell back, falling to the floor while Akashi stood over him.

"Remember this. No one that opposes me is allowed to look down on me." Akashi threw the ball for a simple two-point shot, but the implications were clear.

"Bow your head."

This was the power of the Emperor Eye, and it had overcome Naruto's Zone.

* * *

"Ahahahaha! I was wondering what he was planning on doing, but he just went right in and did it!" Imayoshi was definitely having fun with this. Not that he wasn't also wary of Akashi. Far from it. All of this was only making more uneasy about the future. If they went up against Akashi, what would happen then? Would they be sharing a similar outcome?

Not fun to think about.

"Not even Zone was able to stand up to the Emperor Eye," Momoi murmured, fearful of what was to come.

Aomine said nothing, his face dispassionate. He had different thoughts on what had just happened, but he would keep them to himself for now.

The others over in Shūtoku were more in line with Momoi, save for Midorima. The glasses wearer was thinking the same as Aomine.

'That just now…..'

Back on the court, Kise was already by Naruto's side, offering him a hand.

"Uzumakicchi, are you alright?"

Naruto took it as the others gathered around.

'I can't believe it.' Moriyama's eyes were wide. 'If he can't stop Akashi then…..'

'What are we going to do?' Kobori finished in his mind, his face troubled.

"Stop thinking pointless crap." Kasamatsu wasn't having any of that, though. He would have kicked them if they weren't in the middle of a match right now. "You're not done yet, right?"

Naruto looked at his captain with a feral look, his whiskers darkening. "I'm more excited now than ever."

Facing those eyes for the first time…..it was quite an experience. He had lost that bout, no doubt about it. But the battle wasn't over yet.

Seeing Naruto determined snapped Moriyama and Kobori out of their defeated thoughts. They couldn't be the only ones giving up. They would never let themselves.

Kise grinned as he patted Naruto on the back.

"I was afraid it was going to get to you."

Not a chance.

They just needed to get some payback.

* * *

It was just as Aomine and Midorima thought. As Kaijō got their next play on the move, the ball was handed right to Naruto again.

"What the heck?" Takao narrowed his eyes. "Are they insane? Did they just not see what happened?"

Having Naruto face Akashi again like this….

"It's the opposite, in fact." Midorima readjusted his glasses. "If Uzumaki backs down now, it's no different from running away. That would affect the morale of the whole team, which could hinder them for the rest of the quarter. Perhaps even the first half. But they still have a chance…."

They did?

"Uzumaki was able to get by Akashi first," Aomine explained to the others in Tōō. "He can still capitalize on that."

"Hmm, so you say, but I'm not so sure." Imayoshi turned his attention back to the court. "That play relied more on the shock factor of being in the Zone than Uzumaki's skills." There was also the fact that Akashi hadn't fully activated his Emperor Eye at that point.

To Imayoshi, it was Akashi who had the upper hand here.

And maybe he did, but Aomine still believed in that chance. As long as Naruto didn't give up, it was possible.

And Naruto had plenty of determination to spare.

But Akashi had been expecting this. He knew that Naruto wouldn't give up so easily. That's why he was prepared to finish the blond off right here and now.

Naruto didn't bother with slowing down and pressed forward. Akashi's eyes were right on him, following his every more. The two came to a head a second later.

It was Akashi who seemed to go at it first. He thrusted his arm forward, looking to knock the ball out of Naruto's hand. But to everyone's surprise, Naruto was already dribbling the ball to his other hand just before Akashi could reach it.

'Don't tell me….' Even Kise was astonished by this. 'Is Uzumakicchi…..faster thanthe Emperor Eye!?'

It almost looked as if Naruto was in the clear as he was already dribbling past Akashi.

'I don't like to be underestimated so much.' Akashi thrusted his arm again, only this time it was backwards. He was at the perfect distance to smack the ball from Naruto's blind spot.

'No, he _let_ him pass!' Yuki realized this, her eyes wide. Akashi's true goal was what came after, when Naruto was already too focused in his drive. With Naruto's senses enhanced by his Zone, he would be able to see it coming, but since it was coming from his blind spot it would be a split second too late.

And here, that could change everything.

'So that's his game plan.' Aomine frowned. 'And at Uzumaki's speed…..'

Naruto had put everything into his drive. But even so, he could still dodge this sort of attack. He had good enough reflexes for that. _Normally_ , that is. Akashi's Emperor Eye had the redhead timing his attack just right, though, to the point where Naruto was the most vulnerable.

Could Naruto dribble the ball back to his other hand and out of Akashi's reach before Akashi got to it first?

It was a tense moment, and neither side knew what to expect. But Naruto managed to surprise everyone again as he forced his hand to grab the ball before it could fully leave his grasp.

Akashi was startled by this. 'What is he doing?'

He was so startled that he momentarily forgot to check with his Emperor Eye to figure out the answer. And even if he did, it wouldn't have mattered.

Naruto used all the strength he had to not dribble the ball, but instead he grasped it and hurled it for a pass. Yes, he had just managed to stop himself from dribbling in a split second. No, in a shorter amount of time than that.

Aomine couldn't be more impressed.

The hurled ball made its way to Moriyama, who looked very stunned to be getting the ball. Mibuchi was in the same boat, and because of that he was slow with his reaction.

When Mibuchi finally moved to try and stop him, Moriyama was already poised for his Unorthodox Shot. The ball left his hands unblocked, and it easily went into the net.

"It went in!"

"Kaijō isn't buckling to the emperor at all!"

There were many cries of excitement from the spectators, but Yuki was far too relieved to pay attention to them.

'Naruto-kun…..you're amazing.'

It was a trap that would have worked on almost anyone else. But he was still able to escape it.

"That guy is something else." Imayoshi felt another chill run up his spine. "Being able to outwit the Emperor Eye like that…."

Even if he was in the Zone, it was still incredible.

As for Akashi, he was left staring at his hand that he had used to try and smack the ball with.

'That just now….'

"Akashi….." Hayama didn't know what to say, or what he was supposed to be feeling right now. It was the first time he was seeing something like that.

That rang true for Nebuya and Mibuchi as well.

But Akashi didn't let it get to him. He started to feel a different emotion rising in him.

This game was definitely going to be interesting.

* * *

The first quarter soon ended after that, and it was a score of 23-22, with Kaijō in the lead. It was a single point, but it was a single point higher than most people had been expecting.

"I forgot to breathe several times," Sakura said with a hand over his chest. He was definitely looking a bit pale. "I had no idea things would get this heated so quickly."

And it was only the first quarter!

"But now we know. Uzumaki and Akashi are on the same level." Imayoshi's face was just beaming with excitement. "What's going to happen next?"

He couldn't wait for the second quarter.

"But isn't this bad?" Momoi turned to Aomine. "Ki-kun was in the Zone for almost the whole quarter. Can he last the whole game like that?"

The Zone was supposed to be very taxing. Kise had dropped dead exhausted after only being in it for two minutes. She knew Naruto had more stamina, but still. She was worried.

"I can't give you a good answer to that." Aomine stared at Naruto who was now sitting next to Yuki. "But I can tell you this. He still has plenty of stamina left."

It was scary, the amount of stamina that blond idiot had. That was the thing Aomine feared the most about Naruto. It wasn't the guy's speed or strength. But his stamina. If Aomine was going to combat that, he knew he needed to increase his.

But that was for the future. For now, seeing how this match ended was all that mattered.

* * *

"Man, that was insane. I can't believe you managed to pull that off."

"I wa(s) le(f)t t(o)tall(y) sp(ee)chless!"

"I surprised myself," Naruto admitted after chugging down his water. "I honestly thought he had it there for a second."

"T'ch, and after thinking you looked cool. You disappoint me," Moriyama said while shaking his head.

Hey, it was still cool!

"You really don't do anything halfheartedly," Kobori agreed, half-smiling half-exasperated.

"Well, we followed the plan, but we weren't able to put the dent we were expecting." Takeuchi stood in front of his team, his face thoughtful. "That Emperor Eye. It's definitely formidable."

"Akashicchi has grown faster and stronger too." Kise eyed the redhead on the other side of the court who was sitting calmly with his team. "He's also gotten more annoying with his plans."

Kasamatsu had to agree there. That damn redhead had been taking it easy on him, probably to just test things out. It was only when Naruto had forced his hand that he had shown his true skill.

'I say that, but why do I still feel so uneasy?'

Could Akashi be hiding something else? No, that wasn't possible. What else could he have besides his Emperor Eye?

"So what do we do?" Nakamura posed the most prudent question. "We were able to take the first quarter." Barely. "But going like this…."

"Isn't it obvious?" Kise stood up. "We need to increase our firepower."

Naruto sighed. "You're not going to listen, are you?"

"What do you think?"

Stubborn fool. But so be it.

* * *

Rakuzan was having their own talk, only it was more on the frustrated side.

"Looks like we can't deal with Uzumaki Naruto through conventional means." Nebuya shot a side glare to the blond in question who was saying something to Yuki, which made the girl giggle. "Should we focus more people on him?"

"And what about Kise?" Mibuchi shook his head. "He hasn't done anything big yet, but we can't let ourselves be caught off-guard."

Not again.

"It's as Reo says." Akashi got their attention. "Stopping the two of them will be difficult, almost impossible even for the Uncrowned Kings. That's why it's time for us to press forward with our next plan."

The three knew what he was talking about. They looked to their fifth player who sat in silence.

"We're going to open a hole, one that neither Uzumaki nor Ryōta will see coming."

Their coach, a man in a well-kept suit by the name of Shirogane Eiji, just stood back and let Akashi take care of everything. This was how things had been going since Akashi had joined the team, and he had no problems with it.

It's what would lead them to victory, after all.

* * *

The excitement started to grow again as the second quarter came. Right away, everyone saw that Naruto was no longer in the Zone.

"So they're changing things up." Takao chuckled. "Do they have something else up their sleeve? I wonder what the emperor is going to do about this?"

Midorima wondered the same thing.

The ball was thrown in as the whistle was blown, and it was in Rakuzan's possession. However, unlike how it had been in the first quarter, they seemed to be taking things slow as Akashi maintained his position.

Naruto was confused, unsure of why Akashi wasn't coming straight at him like before.

'What is he thinking?'

Under these circumstances, trying to go for a steal would suit Naruto just fine. But the risk for failure was high. As long as Akashi had those eyes activated…..

"The mood is definitely different," Susa observed. "Is Rakuzan planning something?"

No one knew, but his answer came quick as Akashi finally moved. Except it wasn't in the way people were thinking.

He threw a pass rather than facing Naruto directly, which made the blond frown.

'Are you running away?'

Akashi merely smiled in response.

'No, that's not what's important.' Kasamatsu saw it. That pass from Akashi just now…..it was coming straight for him!

Had Akashi missed somehow? But that didn't seem possible. Someone like Akashi making a careless mistake like this? What were the odds of that?

Kasamatsu wouldn't bother with the numbers and instead savored the opportunity that was presented to him. He held his hands out to catch the incoming ball. It was like getting a gift on Christmas. That's how good it felt anyway.

Kise was also taken back by the careless pass and turned his head in that direction to see what came of it.

It was then that _it_ happened.

A familiar feeling spread through Kise's body when Mayuzumi, the one he was supposed to be watching, suddenly disappeared from view. No, not disappear.

He _vanished_.

Aomine saw the same thing and nearly stood up from his seat. 'The hell!? That's-!'

It was Misdirection.

The ball that was mere inches away from Kasamatsu was suddenly slapped to a different direction, more specifically toward Mibuchi who was already awaiting its arrival.

'What!?' Kasamatsu's eyes widened, and his felt his breathing stop for a moment.

Moriyama was also caught off-guard by the sudden pass and wasn't able to stop Mibuchi from shooting his three. But that was secondary to what had just happened to them.

"This is impossible." Momoi's eyes were full of disbelief as the crowd cheered around her. "That person just now…."

"He used Misdirection." Kise couldn't believe it. "But how…..?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "The same as Kuroko?"

"No, it's not as simple as that." The blond glanced back to Akashi who was looking calm but satisfied. "He may have the same traits as Tetsuya, but all the specs are one notch higher. You may even say that Tetsuya was the previous model."

And now, Mayuzumi Chihiro was the new model for the phantom sixth man of the Generation of Miracles.

This match had taken another turn.

* * *

 **Writing Mibuchi is so much fun. Dude can be playful/flirtatious one moment, then serious and menacing the next. I also like his skill set. Outside of Akashi, he's probably my favorite player from Rakuzan. Mayuzumi is kinda cool too, although I loved his introduction more than his character. If that makes sense.**

 **Imayoshi is another fun character. He's just a troll. And an asshole. But more of a troll in my opinion.**

 **Anyway, people have different ideas as to how this match is going to go. I'm definitely going to end up disappointing or even pissing off a good number of you. I already have the outcome set, though, and I'm not budging on my decision. I just hope to make it believable for everyone, even if you don't agree with it.**

 **But that's all from me for now. Hope you've enjoyed the match so far.**

 **Till next time.**


	14. Can you stop us?

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13:  
** **Can you stop us?**

It was a total ambush from Rakuzan. A successful one at that. No one had seen it coming, after all. For there to be this "new" phantom player on the court…...it was hard to swallow.

It was especially troubling for a team like Kaijō, who had already faced Kuroko and lost to the guy. The psychological toll it took on them was not light, and it showed as the players struggled to regroup.

It was a different story for Naruto, who was struggling for a different reason. He was having a hard time wrapping his head around this Misdirection stuff. He had seen Kuroko play before, so it wasn't like he had no knowledge about it. However, experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely. It really was something bizarre. Seeing someone disappear and then reappear somewhere else. Was this magic?

Just what the hell?

There was no stopping the onslaught that came, though.

Especially since Akashi didn't hesitate to use this ace in the hole to its full. And the crowd loved it.

"Rakuzan has magic passes now!"

"Did you see the ball curve!? How are they doing that!?"

"Kaijō can't keep up at all!"

That last comment was especially annoying.

'Goddammit!' Kasamatsu looked positively livid as he tried to intercept another free ball that came near him. But like how it had happened before, the ball was slapped away from him reach just before he could grab it.

The ball flew to its new target, which was none other than Nebuya who was already waiting for it.

Kobori sprung into action when he took notice of this, ready to block the Rakuzan center from scoring. It was no use, though, as Nebuya launched into the air for the dunk with ease. He scored right through Kobori, who fell back with a grunt.

"MUSCLE DUNK!" The dark skinned player shouted right as he dunked.

Say what now?

"T'ch, is that suppose to be a special move or something?" Moriyama said through gritted teeth. He didn't understand the logic at all.

Honestly, it looked just like a normal dunk.

Mibuchi looked exasperated. "You're not the only one who's confused."

It might sound stupid, but it was still effective regardless. That's all Akashi cared about in the end.

* * *

The second quarter continued, and Kise was already looking fed up with everything.

'I knew Akashicchi was planning something, but I didn't think it would be _this_.'

A second Kuroko. It was enough to make Kise angry from the pit of his stomach. He held a deep respect for the quiet boy, so someone trying to claim that they were a "better" version of him only pissed Kise off.

'I won't let you do as you please.'

From the sidelines, Takeuchi noticed the change in demeanor from Kise and stopped himself from calling a timeout. Was it wise? He didn't know, but at the same time when you saw your player looking like that…..there was no way he could stop the momentum now, right?

"Oh man, things are totally looking hopeless down there." Imayoshi was having the time of his life right now, something he wasn't trying to hide "Kaijō is looking pretty lost. They totally weren't expecting something like this!"

Momoi grimaced a little. "None of us were."

Aomine stayed quiet. His eyes were focused on Naruto and Kise.

'What are you going to do about this?'

Rakuzan had managed to widen the gap in the score in their favor in the last two minutes since that Mayuzumi guy had begun to make his move. In that time, Akashi had done nothing but pass. Those passes of his were deadly accurate, more so thanks to those eyes of his. Naruto hadn't been able to stop them so far, and Kise was falling for Mayuzumi's Misdirection every time.

If the two key players couldn't bounce back from this, then there was no hope for Kaijō.

That being said, Aomine was going to be really pissed off if Naruto and Kise lost to this.

Back with the match, Akashi was once again in possession of the ball. His face was calm, almost detached from everything around him. His eyes were different, though. They were focused, ready to destroy anyone who stood in their way.

Naruto stood before him, his face the total opposite. He was agitated, and it showed. This wasn't like the first quarter where they faced off directly. Akashi was making sure to go around him, staying one step ahead thanks to the Emperor Eye. That's how he was able to get the ball out so perfectly without Naruto being able to stop him.

'Your face is pissing me off!'

Not able to stand still, Naruto stepped forward and got closer to the redhead, amping up his defense. His hands went directly for the ball, but Akashi was already prepared for this. He knew what to expect.

Naruto wasn't able to get close enough to try and steal the ball as Akashi was already throwing it for another pass.

It was just like all the other times. It looked like a terrible pass that no one was going to be able to get. But Mayuzumi was already on the move, ready to misdirect the pass to another location.

There was a surprise this time. The surprise came in the form of Kise who stayed with the silver haired boy all the way through.

'Don't mess with me!'

Kise had spent a great deal of time around Kuroko. He had even lost to the boy already. Falling for the same gimmick that someone else was using…...that was terrible enough. But to think the third year was arrogant enough to use it so many times on him.

It was the very definition of idiocy.

But there was more to it than that. Kise wasn't one who enjoyed being looked down on. In the two minutes that had already passed, he was already getting used to Mayuzumi and his movements. Making sure to focus and follow him was getting easier now. Did they really think so little of him? That he wouldn't be able to do this?

"That's not it at all, Ryōta."

Akashi's calm voice broke through Kise's thoughts just as Mayuzumi caught the ball.

The surprise was evident on Kise's face. Why wouldn't it? Catching the ball meant that Mayuzumi couldn't slap it away for the pass like he had been doing so far.

"I don't enjoy being underestimated like this," Mayuzumi said softly. His eyes gained a bit of fire in them as he got into a shooting position. "Comparing me to that other…...it's insulting."

Kise froze as Mayuzumi performed a simple jump shot that went in through the basket with no trouble.

Even Naruto had to freeze at this development. "He can shoot?"

But Kuroko couldn't make shots at all! That's what Kise had told him, and the match he had watched in the preliminaries confirmed it.

"I believe I already told you this." Next to him, Akashi spoke with his smooth voice. "He's not the same as Tetsuya. He's the newer model. He's not as limited as Tetsuya is."

That just spelled more trouble for them, didn't it? If they were going to win this match, stopping Mayuzumi came first.

But how were they going to do that?

* * *

It was a bit embarrassing, but in the end Takeuchi made his move and called for a time out. It was the best way for them to regroup considering the circumstances.

"I can't believe this." Moriyama was glaring at the floor. "How can there be someone else like that guy? He was annoying enough."

"You can say that again." Kasamatsu was glaring at Mayuzumi who sat with the other Rakuzan players. "The Uncrowned Kings are already a pain in the ass. We don't need another invisible bastard popping up on top of that."

Yuki looked at them with worry. "What can we do?"

She had already seen how much they had been struggling to keep Akashi and the Uncrowned Kings at bay in the first quarter. Now that Rakuzan was going at full strength, they were being overwhelmed.

"Eh? Isn't that obvious?" Naruto savored another delicious lemon slice that Yuki had prepared for them. It was thanks to that he had a more clear head now. "If we can't stop that guy, then all we have to do is score more than them."

Kobori sweatdropped. "You say that like it's simple."

If they could, they would already be doing that. That's why they were losing like this.

"Besides, not dealing with him is the same as running away," Moriyama argued. "I don't like that at all."

Kasamatsu shook his head. "Sometimes, a strategic retreat is all you can do. If we start to fixate on him, then Akashi will probably just start passing to the others. Then what?"

They would be leaving themselves exposed, even more than they already were.

"If they want to come at us, so be it." Takeuchi looked at his team. "However, we're going to cut right through their defense. You already know what to do."

Smirking, Kise stood up. "I don't enjoy taking the easy way out, but alright. If it means we win, I'm ready to do anything."

"Just go and kill them." Standing up as well, Naruto cracked his neck to loosen up. "I'll make sure to keep Akashi away from the rest of the pack. The rest is up to you."

"You're so nice, Uzumakicchi."

"Shut it. Before I decide to kill you myself."

What good friends they were.

"No, wait. Don't kill them!" Yuki panicked. "What are you idiots saying!? Are you even trying to play basketball anymore!?"

She was cute when she took things literally, wasn't she?

"I think it's already too late for that, Sugawara-chan," Moriyama said, amused and also on his feet.

Kasamatsu and Kobori also got up, the former angry that Naruto and Kise had hogged the conversation near the end while the latter was also amused.

"Whatever, you fools." The captain led his team back onto the court, his face determined. "Let's just go and kill them all!"

Naruto cheered his captain on. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Mayhem solved everything!

Yuki looked like she was struggling to breathe. "What are they even thinking of doing out there!?"

Nakamura shrugged. "At least they're motivated?"

That was a good thing, right?

Hayakawa let out a cheer of his own, showing his approval in all of this. Even Takeuchi was nodding, looking proud.

"Go get them."

Yuki was left sitting on the bench, defeated.

'Why is everyone on this team such morons?'

Kinda late to question that, Yuki.

* * *

"Oh?" Imayoshi's eyes gleamed with interest. "Doesn't look like Kaijō has given up yet."

He could see it the moment they got back on the court after the time out. They still had fighting spirit left.

Aomine picked his ear with disinterest. "Huh? That much should be obvious. If they can't bounce back from this, then it's just pathetic."

"Dai-chan, don't say that."

But it was the truth.

"Maybe so," Wakamatsu said, "but what are they planning on doing?"

No one had an answer for him.

"I'm happy to see that you're still standing."

Naruto and Kise were greeted by those words when they walked back onto the court. It was Akashi who spoke them, his face expressing a ghost of a smile.

"I wouldn't be satisfied with an easy victory like this," he added. "That wouldn't be interesting at all. Though, it wouldn't surprise me either."

Kise frowned. "Thank you for the vote of confidence." Sort of? "But you shouldn't act like you've already won this."

Akashi didn't look fazed. "I believe the results are already speaking for themselves. Don't you? Or are you still planning on clinging to whatever hope you have left?"

Did he want them to play or not? Make up your mind!

"So you want to be entertained, huh?" Naruto turned away from him. "We can do that for you. Just don't regret what you ask for, you bastard."

Kise turned away as well, the two joining the others.

Akashi watched them go in silence, but his mind was already made up.

He was going to make sure he utterly crushed them during the second quarter.

* * *

Hayama found his excitement rising up as the next play started.

"What's this? Are you taking me on this time?"

You see, it was no longer Kasamatsu who was marking him. No, it was Kise. The strict captain was now on Mayuzumi, who didn't look perturbed at all by this change. It didn't really make a difference for him either way.

Kise felt his eyebrow twitching a little when he saw the excited look on Hayama's face. It was like he was watching a puppy interact with his favorite toy.

Wait, wasn't he the toy in that analogy?

Better not think about that.

"Your captain isn't bad, but it's totally not the same!" Hayama turned feral as he stared down at Kise. "It's gotta be you or Uzumaki, after all. Crushing anyone else just isn't as fun!"

This guy totally reminded Kise of Kagami, funnily enough. If not a bit more stupid looking.

Kise focused back to the play at hand.

"I don't mind giving you what you want. Just don't complain later."

Hayama was sure he wouldn't.

The ball was in Rakuzan's hands, which of course meant that Akashi was in possession of it.

Right away, the redhead noticed the change in demeanor of the blond blocking his way. He was no longer letting his anger show. None of the others were.

'They've calmed down.'

This meant that they were planning something. It was the only reason they could look so calm, so full of intent.

Akashi was going to savor destroying whatever plan they had, and their determination along with it.

He made to move, which made Naruto's body twitch in anticipation. The whiskered blond was more than ready to block any path the redhead took.

Akashi wasn't here to waste time.

"You're in my way. Bow your head."

His Emperor Eye flared up at full force as he made his move for real this time. He dribbled forward, cutting to the left. Naruto moved accordingly to stop him, but he found himself tripping on his heel again when Akashi cut back.

'Dammit, that ankle break crap again!'

It was beyond annoying, but Naruto had no way of stopping himself from falling to the floor. This allowed Akashi to dribble through with no resistance.

Or so he thought.

'Not yet!' Naruto wasn't going to let something like this keep stopping him. He had fallen for this crap too many times already.

It might be impossible for others, but Naruto didn't let those sorts of limitations stop him. He forced his body to move again the second he hit the floor. That's why he was already looming over Akashi before the redhead had a chance to pass the ball or try to score for himself.

'What!?' Akashi looked back just as Naruto closed in on him.

'How is he standing already!?' Mibuchi couldn't believe it. It was the first time someone was able to shake off Akashi's ankle break so quickly.

Akashi would never admit it to himself, but in that moment he truly panicked. He wasn't able to come up with a sensible enough plan in such a short amount of time, so he was only able to randomly toss the ball before Naruto could steal it from him.

Naruto mentally cursed at this, as did Yuki who slapped her leg in disappointment.

'So close!'

But still not enough.

However, the ball was still in play. Under these circumstances, Mayuzumi was the perfect choice to come in and save the day. Kise was no longer on him, so slipping in with his Misdirection and diverting the ball to someone else should be easy.

Right?

Kasamatsu didn't think so.

"You think Kise is the only one you have to worry about!? Huh!?" The captain shouted as he moved the moment the new phantom player did.

Mayuzumi was a second faster, so he was able to get to the ball first. But Kasamatsu was close enough to block any attempt for a pass.

This did not sit well with Mayuzumi at all.

'This guy…..'

"I already fell for that invisible kid's tricks for a whole match," Kasamatsu said with his eyes narrowed. "Do you think I wouldn't be able to read you as well?"

Kobori and Moriyama were still unable to keep up, so Mayuzumi had assumed Kasamatsu would be the same way. After all, there was a big difference between Kise and someone like Kasamatsu.

His guess had been wrong apparently.

Well, whatever. It didn't really matter.

Switching gears, Mayuzumi grasped the ball and made to shoot.

Kasamatsu felt insulted just seeing this. "Do you really think you can take it that easy!?"

The silver haired boy's eyes widened when his shot was blocked by the Kaijō captain who slapped the ball back down.

"You can't keep surprising us with that crap," Kasamatsu said, glaring at the so-called phantom. At this rate, facing this guy was going to be easier than Kuroko.

Mayuzumi was too shocked for words.

"Nice one, captain!" Kise hadn't been expecting this at all. Mayuzumi had been able to perfectly elude them so far, but it looked like he was quickly losing ground.

That was music to Kise's ears.

Acting quickly, Kise moved for the ball before anyone else could. He quickly scooped it up and sped for Rakuzan's basket.

Somewhat frustrating, Hayama was able to stay on him and stop him in his tracks.

"Not so fast!" Grinning widely, Hayama snickered. "This is exactly what I've been waiting for! Mayuzumi-san might have screwed up, but I'm different!"

Kise wasn't so amused. "Really? I don't see a difference at all."

Just another idiot to get through.

Hayama wasn't able to say anything in return as Kise was already on the move.

"Not letting you through!"

Hayama was still excited to go head-to-head with the blond, but that excitement faded away when Kise pulled out an all too familiar move.

The crowd had to cover their ears again when they were assaulted by the same dribble that Hayama had pulled off in the first quarter.

Said player was stunned. 'Wait a second, this guy is-!'

Grinning, Kise pushed everything into the dribble, using all five fingers unlike Hayama who had only used four so far. This made the dribble all the more powerful.

And elusive.

Hayama was forced to see his own move used against him. He saw the ball disappear from his very eyes, only a streak of lightning being left behind.

Nebuya's mouth was left hanging open after this.

'He copied Hayama's dribble!'

No, not just copied. He was able to perform the next level without even seeing it!

The ending was a bit less exciting than the rest of the play, as Kise performed a simple layup and scored.

The crowd loved it nonetheless.

"Ooohh, Kise copied Hayama!"

"Kaijō stopped Rakuzan!"

"They're not done yet!"

Momoi felt a bit overwhelmed from all the shouting, especially since some of the people were on their feet as they were unable to contain their excitement.

"Uwah, they're really going at it."

"Ahaha, why do you think that is?" Imayoshi had a different expression on him now. He looked down at the court as Naruto and Kise shared a high five with one another. "Kaijō was finally able to fight back."

They had been on the defensive all throughout the second quarter. But now, with five minutes remaining, they had been able to turn the tables.

How fascinating.

Those in Shūtoku were also overwhelmed.

"It's a given that Kise-san is amazing for copying the Uncrowned King, but what Uzumaki-senpai did…..." Takao was at a loss for words.

"H'mph." Midorima readjusted his glasses. "He really is something of a beast."

Almost like they were thinking the same thing, Imayoshi chuckled.

"That guy. He forced Akashi to pass. That's not something I thought I would ever see."

 _Forcing_ someone to pass was totally different from a normal pass. It was a sign of defeat.

And Imayoshi was sure that Akashi was taking it that way, if the look of bitterness was anything to go by.

Or was it anger?

Imayoshi couldn't tell, and that was the scary part.

"Mayuzumi-san's moves are being less effective too," Sakurai pointed out. "Isn't that bad for Rakuzan?"

Aomine stared at Kasamatsu, who was looking rather proud of himself. "Who knows. It might have just been a fluke. But that guy is tenacious, if nothing else. It's just another hole that Rakuzan has to deal with now."

That wasn't including Naruto and Kise.

Could Rakuzan do that? That was the question.

This match had just reached another turning point.

* * *

'I got carried away.'

Akashi realized his mistake. He had put too much of an emphasis on Mayuzumi since the start of the second quarter. He did this deliberately of course. He wanted to beat down each player from Kaijō, until they no longer had any fighting spirit left. To do that, he was having Hayama, Mibuchi, and Nebuya score as much as possible, showing just how superior they were.

It had worked well in the first half of the quarter, to the point that Kaijō had become completely unorganized.

Naruto and Kise were changing that.

In particular, Kise was changing the tide of the quarter as he took center stage. It wasn't just Hayama's moves that he copied, but Mibuchi's as well.

Hayama learned this the hard way when Kise forced a foul on him before scoring a three just as Mibuchi would.

"You guys really showed off in the first quarter," Kise grinned like a madman. "It's only fair if I return the favor, right?"

Moriyama in particular appreciated that. Seeing someone else fall for the same stupid technique he had…..well, it was refreshing.

"Don't get carried away!" In a burst of anger, Nebuya stepped up to try and stop Kise's momentum. But Kise didn't look fazed by this at all as he rushed right through the center, dunking right through him.

'No way!' Nebuya couldn't believe it as he was pushed back. It was like he was seeing his own powerful dunk, only it was turned on him. Kise was even copying his strength!

Mibuchi was in a similar state of panic. 'So this is his copying abilities!'

He had assumed their abilities would take Kise longer to copy. Now, Mibuchi was seeing that he had been far too arrogant to assume that.

Aomine even felt insulted by their reactions. "Why are they looking so surprised for? Did they think Kise couldn't use their moves? They practically showed him everything he needed in the first quarter."

Momoi understood, though. It was the same infection that had plagued Aomine and the others during their Teikō years.

Arrogance. The Uncrowned Kings were full of it. They might listen to Akashi, presumably because he showed them his strength. But they didn't feel the same way toward the others.

And so, they were learning the hard way. Kise was making sure of that.

And the blond was enjoying it.

"Too slow!" Kise practically taunted Hayama as he dribbled past him, once again using his Lighting Dribble.

'Dammit, I can't keep up!' Never before had Hayama felt so weak in a match, and against his own moves no less! There was nothing that could humiliate him more.

It was Rakuzan who was on the receiving end of an ambush this time, and they fell for said ambush hard.

* * *

There was another time out called, the second of the quarter. Only this time it was called by Rakuzan, per Akashi's orders.

"Goddammit!" Nebuya almost kicked the bench in anger. Only the stern look from Akashi stopped him.

"Calm yourselves, all of you." Akashi's voice lacked any anger or frustration. It was actually relatively calm, all things considered.

This only made the Uncrowned Kings the more nervous. Nothing good could came when Akashi sounded like that. It simply hid the anger that was hiding underneath.

"It seems like our lead made you all careless. Is that it?" Akashi narrowed his eyes. "You all knew what Ryōta was capable of. Why are you all so flustered now? Being pushed back like this…...it's beyond pathetic."

Hayama shot Mayuzumi a small glare. "We wouldn't be in this hole if _someone_ hadn't gotten beaten like that."

Mibuchi and Nebuya seemed to be in agreement as they too glared at the only third year in the team.

Mayuzumi returned the glare with his own, but he didn't respond. He already knew this was the way they were. They were willing to act nice and all friendly when things were going well, but as soon as something inconvenient came up they were more than happy to throw him under the bus.

'An expandable pawn, is it?'

"That was nothing more than a little setback." Akashi didn't seem to think the same way, though, which surprised them all. "It is true. We got a bit carried away. We won't make that same mistake twice."

Mibuchi didn't understand. "What are you saying?"

Akashi allowed himself to smile.

"We still have an opening. There is no reason to let it go to waste."

Pretty soon, they began to understand what Akashi was trying to say. It quickly motivated them again.

Yes. There was no way they could lose.

* * *

The time out soon ended, and both teams were back on the court again.

The break had made Naruto and the others feel more wary. Rakuzan had reorganized, just like they had earlier. Were they about to pull something else out?

The short answer was no.

Moriyama almost scowled when he saw Mibuchi getting the ball again.

'So that's how it is.'

Mibuchi smiled as he poised himself for an attack. "I hope you don't think too badly of me for this, Moriyama-chan."

"Don't worry. I already didn't like you."

"How harsh."

Mibuchi didn't sound too saddened by this fact, though.

Nothing else was said. They already knew what was coming.

Mibuchi prepared to jump, and like before Moriyama had no idea what to expect. Was it really a jump shot? Or a fake? Was he trying to lure him in, so that he could perform that bullshit shot again?

'No time! Gotta move!'

He didn't have Naruto's explosive power, so if he didn't react quickly than he wasn't going to be able to keep up with Mibuchi at all.

So Moriyama jumped, expecting Mibuchi to do the same.

Only he didn't.

"Too bad." Mibuchi smiled again, only it was full of hunger.

Moriyama's eyes could only widen as he realized too late that Mibuchi had pulled another fake on him.

What came next was obvious.

The whistle was blown the moment Mibuchi jumped to meet Moriyama in the air, forcing another foul on the Kaijō player. Worse still, the shot went in.

It was another four point play for Rakuzan.

Takeuchi didn't like this one bit. This was Moriyama's third foul. He was getting close to the red, and it was still only the second quarter.

'That shot…..'

How annoying.

Naruto scowled. "What the hell are you doing? Get your act together!"

He knew Moriyama was better than this.

"That's impossible."

The blond turned to Akashi. "What?"

"The difference in strength is clear. Simply put, other than you and Ryōta, the others cannot hope to stop the Uncrowned Kings. They will not lose."

They were already writing Moriyama out, is that it?

It was something the boy himself realized, and in some ways even accepted. He couldn't read Mibuchi's moves. His two shots were impossible to tell apart.

But still.

"I won't lose." Wiping some of the sweat with his shirt, Moriyama fixed Mibuchi with a glare. "I'll say it again, just in case you forgot. You might be able to score on me, but that just means I have to do the same on you."

Mibuchi welcomed it.

"You can struggle all you want, Moriyama-chan. But the outcome is already a given."

As long as he didn't give up, Moriyama was sure he could pull something off before the game was over. He just had to.

The face-off between the shooting guards continued.

* * *

It wasn't just Moriyama who was struggling, though. Kobori was having his own difficulties keeping Nebuya from having dominance under the net, but with little success.

'What is this guy made of?' Kobori was shoulder-to-shoulder with Nebuya, the two fighting to push the other out. But it was Kobori was who was doing the bigger pushing, to no avail. It was like Nebuya was a rock or something. That's how stiff he felt anyway.

"Huh, is that all you got?" Nebuya grinned as he took a step closer to the net. Kobori tried to stop him, but it was already clear that Nebuya had more raw strength than he did.

That's why, when the ball came their way, Nebuya was already in the right position to catch it and quickly go for the dunk. Because Kobori was being pushed out, he struggled to keep up and jumped far too late.

Nebuya was able to score, letting out a shout in success as he did.

Imayoshi didn't like this at all. "He really is loud."

Susa was in the same boat, looking put off by the constant screaming from the Rakuzan center.

He was still powerful, though, and they acknowledged that much.

Unfortunately.

"Now then, what is Kaijō going to do about this?" the glasses wearer wondered out loud. "If those two don't get their act together, Rakuzan will just keep on scoring."

Kise was still able to score for Kaijō, but it still wasn't enough to make up the difference.

Aomine, and Midorima as well, was more concerned with another particular detail.

'Akashi is only passing.'

The redhead had reverted to a strict supportive role. And sure, it was working. However, Aomine knew the redhead wasn't doing it solely because of that.

Midorima saw the same thing.

'He's wary?'

Of Naruto.

As they thought this, Naruto and Akashi came head-to-head again as the redhead had possession of the ball once more. The blond was getting pretty frustrated by all the action that was happening around him. Sure, he was doing exactly what he had promised he would do, keeping Akashi at bay and making sure he didn't score.

But the blond was getting restless. Akashi was only adding to that. The redhead wasn't facing him directly at all, but Naruto still felt like he was losing.

'I have to stop those passes of his.'

It was the best way to help his team right now.

"How careless. You can't stop my passes this way."

Being too caught up in his thoughts, Naruto was even slower to react than normal as Akashi made another successful pass.

Only, it wasn't to Nebuya or Mibuchi.

"Wait, what!?" Kasamatsu yelled, being caught off guard as Mayuzumi disappeared from his vision. It only brought another problem to the table.

Mayuzumi's Misdirection was returning. As Akashi started to move the ball around more, Mayuzumi was able to become invisible again.

The ball curved before it found its way to Mibuchi, who was able to score another three as Moriyama also reacted too late.

The crowd cheered, happy to see that Rakuzan still had their magic passes. They didn't know where the passes were coming from, but they didn't care one bit.

Naruto cursed. At this rate, they were never going to be able to catch up by the time the quarter ended. And going into the second half down by twelve points was not something they could afford.

A change of pace was what he needed.

And Naruto knew exactly how to do that.

* * *

The ball was live again, with Kasamatsu throwing it in to Kise who easily caught it.

Hayama was already on him, sticking close as he did his best to make sure Kise had no room to move.

But it still wasn't enough. Kise could easily get by, but when he saw the look Naruto was giving him he came to a stop. It was only for a second, but a second was all the two needed to understand each other.

'Uzumakicchi.'

It was reckless, and totally stupid. It might not even pay off. On the contrary, Kise was sure he could keep scoring if they followed through with their formation. But he also felt the same way Naruto did.

They needed a bigger impact.

He smiled.

'Let's do it then.'

Hayama was caught off guard when he saw Kise passing the ball instead of coming at him like usual.

'What is he planning now?'

There was no need to wonder about that for too long, as the ball was soon in Naruto's hands.

It was almost like everyone else on the court froze for a second or so as they took this development in.

Naruto was challenging Akashi again.

Yuki looked on in worry. 'Naruto-kun.'

She didn't think this was a good idea at all, but that didn't matter. She had to believe in him.

Akashi kept his his face cool and relaxed, while Naruto was the total opposite.

"You've been avoiding me, you bastard." The blond narrowed his eyes, which gleamed with hunger and anticipation. "But I'll change that right now. You'll be _forced_ to face me directly."

"Bring it, Uzumaki Naruto." Akashi didn't buckle under the threat. "I already told you. I am the absolute. No matter how much you struggle, that fact won't change."

This declaration only motivated Naruto further.

The others all watched with bated breaths, eager to see how this turned out. Those in the audience were in a similar state.

Naruto moved first, darting to the right of Akashi with incredible speed. It was just another impressive display of his agility.

Against the Emperor Eye, though, this didn't seem to mean anything at all as Akashi cut Naruto off before he could get very far, already aiming for the ball to smack it away.

Naruto stopped in an instant, while simultaneously dribbling the ball behind his back to his freed right hand. This got the ball out of Akashi's range, much to the disbelief of everyone watching.

After all, Naruto wasn't in the Zone but he was still reacting properly to Akashi's Emperor Eye!?

With the ball secured, Naruto quickly cut back and shot to Akashi's left, where it was open. There was cheering from the crowd as they saw this. It was expected, as Naruto seemed to win the battle here.

Nebuya was too slow to try and stop him as he had been too focused on their face off, so Naruto was free to jump for the dunk without any interference.

But a hand came in at the last second to knock the ball to the side before it could go into the basket. It was almost a gentle tap, all things considered, but it still had the desired effect.

Naruto, eyes wide, turned to see Akashi in the air next to him right after stopping his dunk.

The two boys fell back to the floor, one victorious and the other defeated and confused.

'How did he-?'

Naruto was sure he had gotten around him!

"I believe you're taking me too lightly," Akashi said, almost like he had heard Naruto's question. "Do you honestly believe that's all it would take to defeat my Emperor Eye? It's just insulting."

Naruto clenched his teeth. "What?"

"You're not as unpredictable as you like to think." Akashi turned away from him, almost like he was disappointed. "No matter how fast you are, if I know you're going to dunk, then it doesn't matter. I just have to make sure to be ready for when you inevitably try to dunk. Timing my block at the last possible second when you are the most vulnerable is easy for my Emperor Eye, didn't you know?"

Imayoshi felt a shiver crawl up his spine at the revelation. This is what Akashi had been aiming for all along.

"So it was like before. He purposely lured Uzumaki in and let him think he had won, when in fact he was only falling for the trap."

"But still, to stop a dunk from Uzumaki is just." Wakamatsu didn't have the words for it. He was sure not even Aomine could do that. Not with such precision anyway.

Aomine knew this too. He could do it with brute force, sure, but it was different from what Akashi had just done. It was pure precision, plain and simple.

Akashi gave Naruto one final glance before walking off.

"My Emperor Eye cannot be beaten. With it, changing the future is but a simple matter. That is why I am the absolute. And why you have no hope of winning this."

He walked off without Naruto replying to him, a fact that only made Kasamatsu angry as he came in with a bop to Naruto's head.

"Don't just stand there and say nothing, you goddamn moron! You're going to make _me_ angry!"

"Pretty sure you already are," Moriyama said under his breath.

Kasamatsu was more focused on Naruto right now to care. "You're not going to get beaten like this, right!?"

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "If you're trying to make me feel better, I could do without the hitting."

"Then stop sulking!"

"I'm not sulking!"

"You totally were! Do you want me to hit you again!? I can totally kick you this time! I'm sure that will help!"

"How is that supposed to make me feel better!?"

"It's tough love! Deal with it!"

"Why you-!"

Kobori shook his head, feeling a bit embarrassed by their back-and-forth. "This is so not the time for this."

Kise chuckled. "I think it is. Helps lighten the mood, ya know? Although you're underestimating Uzumakicchi a little bit too much, captain."

"Damn right he is." Stepping forward, Naruto started to crack his neck again. "I'm not out of this yet. It's the opposite. I'm getting all fired up!"

"You're not the only one." Kise shot Akashi a glare. "I've had it with playing nice. There's only two minutes left in the first half anyway. We need to end it with style."

Kasamatsu, already understanding where they were going with this, slapped the two blonds in the back.

"H'mph, then go! We'll hold the others back. You two just focus on crushing Akashi."

That's all they needed to hear.

* * *

Mibuchi had been expecting to see Naruto sulking at his loss, even if only for a bit. But he was totally not prepared to see Naruto's aura amplifying even more than before. It suddenly felt like he was standing in the way of a hungry monster who had been denied his prey.

Basically. Mibuchi didn't want to face him right now.

Naruto wasn't the only one. Kise's whole demeanor changed as well, and Hayama felt it the most as he stood the closest to the model.

Yuki started to worry again. "What are they doing?"

This feeling the two were emitting….they couldn't possibly be _that_ reckless, could they?

Takeuchi didn't look concerned at all, but he did seem a bit defeated.

"Those two. They're totally going to do it, aren't they?"

He said this, but he made no attempt to stop it.

Yuki placed a hand over her chest, her fears rising. But it was like she had said before. She needed to believe in Naruto, and in Kise too. Everyone else on the team was on their side, so she would be too.

Aomine simply smirked. 'Alright then. Looks like they're finally ready.'

This is what he wanted to see.

When the match resumed, Kasamatsu didn't waste anytime throwing the ball to Naruto who charged forward without hesitating. There was no logic here, only pure instinct.

Kise shared that instinct with him, and that's all the encourangment Naruto needed.

"Again!?" Mibuchi was getting real tired of this. "Are you getting desperate or what!?"

Moriyama almost sneered at this. "What are you saying? Just shut up and watch."

There was no doubt in him, and it only made Mibuchi the more anxious for some reason.

The setup was the same as before, as Akashi quickly took his place in blocking Naruto's path. His Emperor Eye was in full effect. After the previous play, stopping the blond here and now would be the final blow to stopping whatever willpower Kaijō had left.

Naruto wasn't holding anything back now, his eyes shooting the all too familiar orange electric current.

'Bastard, he's in Zone again.' Nebuya felt the same fear grip his heart as when the game had begun. He understood right away.

Naruto was being driven by his emotions right now.

'He managed to beat Akashi-san's Emperor Eye before when he was like this,' Yuki thought with hope.

That shouldn't change now, right?

Unlike his teammates, Akashi didn't seem worried by this at all. If anything, he seemed a bit excited?

"Come."

That was the only invitation Naruto needed.

The blond moved forward. He seemed to put everything into his drive, no tricks or anything. Just pure speed. To the other Rakuzan players, this was stupid. Naruto wouldn't be able to outwit the Emperor Eye with such a simple attack.

It was Akashi who realized what Naruto was actually doing first, his eyes widening in understanding.

'He's not trying to pass me at all!?'

Naruto had no intention of doing anything fancy maneuvers here. No, he was simply sending a more direct massage.

Just as quickly as Naruto had rushed forward, that he came to a complete stop before jumping back with his right arm slung back. The ball came for the ride before it was flung to the backboard of the basket, courtesy of Naruto. The ball hit its mark, right before it fell down to the net.

"Oh, it's a formless shot!"

"Uzumaki paid them back!"

It went without saying that this only re-energized the crowd further, if that was even possible.

Akashi was only left staring at Naruto who stared right back.

"Dunks aren't the only thing I can do." The orange sparks around his eyes intensified further. "I'm going to show you just how unpredictable I can _really_ be."

His will hadn't wavered in the slightest. It was also spreading to the others in the team, even those sitting on the sidelines.

Kaijō wasn't going to down that easy.

Akashi was forced to accept this and smiled.

"That's how it should be."

* * *

There was no time to waste as Rakuzan quickly launched their own offensive next, with Akashi leading it.

This meant one thing. It was Naruto versus Akashi again.

"The aces are going at it!"

"It's going to be a full showdown!"

Momoi saw more and more people jumping out of their seats, none of them able to contain their excitement any further. And she understood it very well.

These last couple of minutes were shaping out to be the most intense of the game so far.

Neither Naruto nor Akashi were perturbed by the screams. To them, everything else was irrelevant but each other.

"You've caused me some real trouble." Akashi narrowed his eyes. "Bow your head."

He darted forward, dribbling the ball between his legs. He had wanted to avoid further confrontations with the blond this quarter, but that didn't look possible anymore. After being challenged like that, there was no way Akashi wasn't going to respond.

As expected, Naruto didn't hesitate to try and cut him off. In Zone, he was even more aggressive than before. He moved faster than ever before, but it also made it easier for Akashi to cut back and pull off another ankle break. The faster the speed, the harder it was to control yourself.

"You're being too eager," Akashi said softly. "Learn some discipline."

He was already cutting back to the opposite direction as Naruto stumbled, much to the despair of the others watching. It looked like it was going to be a repeat of the first quarter again.

'Even in Zone, he can't stand up to this guy!?' Moriyama couldn't believe it. He wasn't going to. He had far too much faith in Naruto to be able to believe he could be defeated like this.

That belief managed to pay off in the end, as with unbelievable resolve Naruto caught his footing before he could fall back to the floor. He grounded his feet, and with incredible timing smacked the ball from Akashi's hands just as the redhead was dribbling past him.

This left Akashi in a state he had never been before. No, that wasn't quite true. He had experienced a feeling similar to this once in his life. It was during his one-on-one with Murasakibara, right before he had awakened to the Emperor Eye.

This feeling of defeat.

In the midst of the cheering and shock, all the other players didn't take into account of the ball which was still in play.

Except for Kise, who had shared the same faith as Moriyama and was ready for the interception.

'Shit!' Hayama saw this and tried to stop the model, but it was then that he was also met with his own surprise.

Kise was now in the Zone as well.

If Hayama hadn't been able to stop Kise before, now it was but a dream. With speed that rivaled Naruto's, Kise cut right through Hayama's defense like it was nothing. It was almost like he wasn't even there.

'How can he be so fast!?'

With Hayama out of the way, Kise was only left with Nebuya trying to stop him.

"I'm not letting you through!"

Nebuya was determined, but that determination meant nothing as Kise came to a complete stop before he jumped back, looking ready to shoot. Realizing this, the Rakuzan center jumped as well in an effort to block the shot. But Kise performed his own formless shot, his back going almost parallel to the floor as he launched the ball into the air.

Nebuya was only able to watch the ball fly over his hands and into the basket behind him, hitting only the net as it went through.

It was another victory for Kaijō, and it left Yuki smiling from ear to ear.

Imayoshi was also smiling, only his wasn't as sincere as Yuki's.

"So the two aces have awakened."

How scary.

Momoi was more concerned with what Naruto had just done.

"He withstood Akashi-kun's ankle break….."

It was beyond impressive. And even scary.

He didn't admit it, but Aomine was also impressed. From the bottom of his heart. It also strengthened his resolve to face the blond again one day. His legs were twitching, a clear sign that he wanted to be down there and play with them.

From their seats, Takao noticed a similar reaction from Midorima. Only it was his hands that were twitching ever so slightly. And the look in his eyes….they were definitely that of a beast hungry for their prey.

'So you can even affect Shin-chan, huh?'

Naruto was definitely an interesting guy, and Takao loved that.

* * *

The Rakuzan players were not sharing that sense of wonder as the others. If anything, they looked worried. That same sense of fear that Nebuya had experienced before was now spreading to the others.

And they didn't like it.

Mibuchi was the one brave enough to speak to their captain.

"Sei-chan, what just happen-"

"Just give me the ball."

Akashi cut him off, and his words only further worried the other four.

"W-What are you saying, Akashi?" Hayama stuttered, which was unusual for him. But what was more unusual was how Akashi was behaving right now. "You can't just-"

"I said. Give me the ball." The way Akashi looked at him made Hayama freeze. "I won't say it again."

Mayuzumi was flabbergasted.

'What's going on, Akashi? Behaving this way…..'

He wasn't giving them any clear instructions at all, but instead heading head first into a confrontation with Naruto again. It was such an emotional reaction Mayuzumi was having a hard time believing he was speaking to the same Akashi he had come to know.

Nebuya, Mibuchi, and Hayama felt the same way as he did. But there was little they could. Disobeying Akashi now…..well, none of them had a death wish.

Kasamatsu had to frown when he saw Rakuzan setting up the next play, the ball live once more as it was thrown in.

'This is….'

"Hey now, is this for real?" Imayoshi almost laughed when he saw what was going on. "They have no intention of stopping, do they?"

Of course, the crowd only went more crazy as Akashi stood before Naruto again, the ball in hand.

Naruto was beyond elated by this. "So you're finally not hiding anymore. Good. Throw everything you got at me."

"Congratulations. You've irritated me." Akashi wasn't one to admit such things, and if it was any other circumstances he might have questioned why he revealed this so easily. But his mind was too preoccupied with the annoyance before him. "You will learn your place."

"Enough with the talking." Naruto's features turned more feral than before. "Just come on already."

The two exchanged glares as Akashi dribbled the ball in place. There was that quiet moment as always, the calm before the storm.

But then both moved at the same time. Akashi went in to Naruto's right, but the blond was already cutting that path off to him. Already having foreseen this, Akashi performed a quick crossover to the other side. But Naruto reacted to this as well, cutting back to stop the redhead from getting through.

Akashi was able to read Naruto's moves again, but Naruto was able to read Akashi's as well. It was a match of speed, and it seemed as though the Emperor Eye and Naruto's instincts were evenly match.

'I can't believe this.' Mibuchi was sure his jaw was on the floor from this display. 'Shin-chan can't get around him!?'

'And what's more, Akashi can't use his ankle break anymore,' Kobori observed with a small grin.

Naruto being able to withstand it earlier had rattled Akashi's confidence, to the point where he wasn't using it. And it was paying off right now.

'But could totally get around Naruto-kun if he just passed,' Yuki thought with wonder in her eyes. 'But he's not doing that.'

What was Akashi thinking right now?

It really was an even match, as the two boys were in a deadlock. But there was a simple factor that decided everything. One that Akashi's Emperor Eye never saw coming until it was too late.

Kise.

Before Hayama realized what was going on, Kise slipped away from his line of sight and joined Naruto and Akashi in their little tango.

It was almost embarrassing really, but Akashi found the ball being smacked away from his hand for the second time in a row, only it was by Kise this time.

Takao's eyes went wider than before. "So easy!"

Midorima understood why this was. As impressive as the Emperor Eye was, it could only hone in on one person at a time. Of course, this wasn't usually a problem, as Akashi was able to quickly switch focus from player to player before they could react. But against two players as fast as Naruto and Kise…..

It was one big weakness.

And Kise was going to capitalize on that.

Naruto grinned at this.

It was about time.

With the ball now free, Naruto grabbed it and made a quick run down the court, blitzing away from the scene and for the basket again.

Panicking, Nebuya and Mibuchi tried to put up a defense against the blond. If they couldn't stop him alone, then maybe together they could have better success.

They didn't, as Naruto simply passed the ball to Kise who was happy to receive it.

Since Naruto's movements were so quick, neither Nebuya nor Mibuchi was in any position to do anything about Kise. But Mayuzumi was. Unfortunately, the phantom player reacted even slower to Kise's movements than Nebuya and Mibuchi had to Naruto's.

There was no contest here.

Kise blew past him, performing a quick drive through Mayuzumi's weak defense.

Only Hayama, who had ran back as fast as he could, was left to try and stop Kise from reaching the basket.

Kise didn't charge at him, though, instead simply passing the ball back to Naruto who was already in the air next to the hoop for the alley-oop.

All of this only stalled Naruto and Kise for a couple of seconds, at most. But it's what Akashi needed to get back in the play. It was a desperate effort, though, and it showed as he jumped to meet Naruto in the air.

'What poor form.' Midorima almost couldn't believe it. To make up for time, Akashi had jumped from an unfavorable position so that he could even attempt to come close to Naruto.

There was no stopping the Uzumaki, though. Not at this stage.

Akashi could only watch in growing anger and even horror as Naruto caught Kise's pass with ease before proceeding to dunk over him with so much force the whole hoop shook. For a second, as Naruto hung from the rim, it looked like it was about to come crashing down. But by some miracle, the hoop stayed in place.

Akashi was not so lucky, though. He came crashing back to the floor on his back while Naruto loomed over him, Kise standing close by.

The whole room fell silent for a couple of seconds, as it took the spectators a few moments to process what they had just witnessed.

Then they cheered.

Kasamatsu could not stop grinning, and Moriyama and Kobori exchanged a high five with one another.

Those on the sidelines were also on their feet and shouting in approval while Yuki joined them.

Only Akashi and those in Rakuzan were not cheering. How could they?

Naruto and Kise had just utterly crushed Akashi, after all.

It was only after that embarrassing defeat that the second quarter ended. It ended with a crushing blow to the so-called emperor.

What would the second half bring?

* * *

 **Man, what a month it's been. I got sick, which basically screwed my whole schedule. And then real life happened, and so on. I did want to update sooner, so I apologize for that.**

 **I hate adulting. Can I be 9 again?**

 **Honestly, I didn't expect so many people would make such a big assumption from a few words. Though, it did allow me to read some interesting reviews. So I'll call it even.**

 **Anyway, that's all from me. The first half of this match is finally done with! What will come next? Who will win? Will Spider-Man continue to stay in the MCU?**

 **Stay tune for all the answers and more!**

 **Till next time.**


	15. I Am Absolute

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14:  
** **I Am Absolute**

It was much quieter in the locker room than Yuki thought it was going to be. It was understandable. The second quarter had ended with a 49-51 score, with them trailing behind by two points. But they had scored a more important victory out there.

Crushing Akashi and his Emperor Eye.

Yuki was expecting Naruto and Kise to be ecstatic about that, but they both looked somber. It was a feeling that was shared by the rest of the team, especially Moriyama. Although she could understand the shooting guard's apprehension.

Takeuchi sensed this and sighed. He needed to shift the mood.

"Good work out there, everyone. We made a better recovery than I expected. You should all be proud of yourselves."

"We're more concerned about the second half now." Kise's head dropped a little. He was the one sweating the most, probably from being in the Zone for the last minutes of the quarter. "I don't think we'll be able to win this easily."

Yuki remembered Kise saying something similar during their match against Aomine. Ah, come to think of it, wasn't there a similar somber feeling during halftime when they faced off against Tōō and Aomine?

'He has a lot of faith in his former teammates, doesn't he?'

That was the only explanation for Kise's words and attitudes, and it brought a small smile to Yuki's face.

"More like, it would be a disappointment." Naruto was hunched over the snacks Yuki had prepared for him. He needed to recover as much energy as possible, and eating would help. Probably. "After all that crap he said, if this is all he's got, then what a joke."

Kobori sweatdropped. "Seriously? Just how high are your standards?"

Pretty damn high, and Naruto wasn't going to lower them any time soon.

Kasamatsu stood up. "At the very least, we're controlling the flow of the game. We should keep up with our momentum in the second half."

Despite what Naruto said, Kasamatsu was hoping Rakuzan didn't have any other surprises up their sleeves. They were already pretty damn tough as it was. Anything else and it would be ridiculous.

'But what am I saying?' Kasamatsu closed his eyes, his smile wary. 'I should be expecting that more than anything else.'

"Well, it's not like we're out of cards to play either." Slinging his arm around Kise, Naruto grinned. "Right?"

Knowing what he was talking about, Kise grinned back. "I'm all set to go."

That made the others all perk up.

"Already?" Moriyama was surprised. He thought it would take Kise until the fourth quarter to be ready.

"Yeah. Um, how can I put this? I guess I had the basics down thanks to Uzumakicchi and Aominecchi?" Kise didn't sound sure of himself. It was instinctive to him. Trying to explain it was pretty damn impossible for him.

Takeuchi didn't really care either way. He just grinned, matching the ones from his players. "Good. I'm sure you'll want to hone it in before trying it out on the big fish, but we can work with this. That settles it. In the third quarter, our offense will rely entirely on Kise and Uzumaki. The rest of you, focus on defense and other supportive roles."

The others had already been expecting this. They were prepared to be the backup in matches like this. If that's what it took to defeat the Generation of Miracles, then so be it.

Naruto then raised his hand. "Actually, coach. There's something I want to say."

Now this should be good.

The others all listened intently.

* * *

" _You're losing your edge."_

Shut up.

" _Can you really win at this rate?"_

Shut up.

" _Kise and Uzumaki are too-"_

'I said shut up!'

Akashi glared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was almost like he was running away, coming here during halftime instead of facing his team. But Akashi refused to acknowledge that.

He was only pushed back a little, nothing more. Even if Naruto and Kise were working together to fool his Emperor Eye, they still couldn't do anything on their own. That was a weakness, and Akashi could exploit that. Among other things.

" _You're becoming emotional."_

Akashi glared at his reflection again.

'Stay out of this. I'm the one in control.'

" _Facing off against_ _Kise for the first time is a treat for us both. However, you weren't counting on Uzumaki's presence, were you?"_

How could he? It was like Naruto had appeared out of thin air, only making himself known right before the preliminaries started. He wasn't part of the promise. He wasn't one of them. And yet…

" _You've become more emotional the more you face off against him. Right?"_

Akashi had told the others the same thing once, right after they had graduated from Teikō. Their future battles were going to be driven by instinct, not logic. It was pure emotions. To want to defeat the other, to see who was truly the best no matter the cost…..there was no logic in that. Otherwise, they never would have gone their separate ways. They would have stayed a team, to ensure that they would keep winning just as they had in middle school.

But this was irrelevant. The past was the past.

Akashi's glare hardened. 'I don't need you trying to lecture me. Just shut up and stay in your hole. I will win.'

Because he always won. Because he was absolute.

The Emperor Eye was not going to be defeated this easily.

There was no response from the other voice.

Taking one last look at the mirror, Akashi walked off, his mind made up. Maybe he had become a little flustered, caught off guard perhaps. But that was all.

At the end of the day, victory was going to be his.

* * *

"Huh? We're staying to watch? Didn't we already waste enough time? I need to get more snacks."

"You can't tell me you're not a _little_ interested in seeing this."

"I'm not. We already won our game, right?"

"Idiot. Even if we did, we still have to stay for the ceremony afterward. Why not watch the finals in the meantime?"

"Sounds like a pain."

"Yeah, and what else isn't with you?"

These were some of the complaints Murasakibara voiced, but his team wasn't having any of it. They made sure to drag him out from their locker room and up to the seats where the audience was watching. It had taken them a little more time to get their things in order than they would have liked, but at least they could watch the second half of the finals in peace.

Murasakibara didn't miss Aomine's and Midorima's presence in the audience, but he didn't comment on it. Talking to them right now would only be a pain.

Momoi didn't share that perspective, though.

"Ah, it's Muk-kun!"

She called out to him and waved him over the second she spotted him.

Murasakibara almost grimaced at this.

"Oh?" Yōsen's captain raised an eyebrow at this. His name was Okamura Kenichi and, quite frankly, he didn't look his own age at all. That, and he was constantly being made fun of for his funny-looking jaw by his own teammates no less, but that was beside the point.

"Someone you know?"

Murasakibara's shoulders dropped a little. "Something like that, yeah."

He wanted to walk away, but there was nothing to be done. He followed his teammates and sat a few rows away from where Aomine and Momoi were.

Aomine didn't turn to acknowledge him at all, and Murasakibara understood why. He probably wasn't happy about Murasakibara's decision to sit out in the match against Akashi.

Murasakibara didn't really care very much about this at all. It was the right decision in his mind. Even now, he didn't regret it. Besides, that was old news already. Wasn't the current match more important?

Speaking of which.

"Woah, Rakuzan doesn't seem to have that much of an advantage." The other third year Yōsen player, Fukui Kensuke, noted the score and was amazed. Without Murasakibara, they frankly hadn't done very well against Rakuzan in their match. Not when they had three of the Uncrowned Kings to worry about.

Kaijō didn't seem to have this problem.

Okamura smirked. "Looks like this is a match worth watching, after all."

And speak of the devil.

Both teams started to head back onto the court as the crowd began to cheer again.

The second half was about to commence.

* * *

Mibuchi was anxious. Their halftime discussion hadn't exactly been very fruitful. Their coach had tried to take the reins and offer insight about their strategy moving forward, but without Akashi the morale in the team had dropped.

That had changed when Akashi had stepped back into the locker room, looking as imposing as ever. That brought some hope back into the team, but Mibuchi still had this wary feeling that he couldn't shake off.

Why?

Ah, that's right. He realized what it was when he saw Naruto and Kise.

'Those two.'

They scared him. Maybe it was because he felt like they still hadn't shown all their cards? Which didn't make much sense really. Mibuchi was sure Kaijō wasn't holding back, so what was it?

What was he scared of?

He couldn't really worry about that right now. There was still a game that needed to be played, and he needed to focus on that.

'Besides, it's not like we've shown all our cards yet either.'

Mibuchi wasn't just talking about himself either.

The whistle was blown, and the two teams started to trickle back onto the court, with Yuki waving to Naruto and Kise and bidding them good luck.

No words were exchanged between the two teams. Not even Naruto said anything, only choosing to glare at Akashi who surprisingly returned the gesture.

'Akashicchi…..'

Kise felt his eyes widen a little when he noticed this. After all, Akashi wasn't one to express his emotions very often. He was always distant, cold, calculated. He was seeing none of that right now.

Akashi was angry, and he wasn't hiding it.

This game was full of surprises, and that probably wasn't going to change anytime soon.

* * *

The crowd couldn't hold back their growing cheers as the second half started, with Rakuzan throwing the ball in.

To no one's surprise, the pass went straight for Akashi. He might have been defeated during the final play of the first half, but that didn't seem to shake the trust the team had in him.

Kaijō welcomed it.

There was no pause in Akashi's movements. The second he got the ball, he was already sprinting down the court. Of course, he couldn't get very far before he met the usual obstacle.

Naruto.

The other Rakuzan players all narrowed their eyes at this. Mibuchi's uneasiness only grew further when he saw that Naruto was still in the Zone. There was no mistaking that aura.

Not just that, but…...did the blond seem _more_ imposing than before?

'What's going on here?'

Aomine and Midorima sensed the same thing, and for Murasakibara, who was seeing Naruto in this state for the first time, it brought a sudden chill to his bones. He had faced Naruto in a one-on-one, sure, but he was able to tell right away that this was something else entirely.

'He still had another level?'

Now that angered him, something Murasakibara didn't feel very often outside of specific circumstances.

Akashi was the one who felt the full brunt of this, as he stood before Naruto. The look in the blond's eyes was all the evidence he needed really.

'He's still not…'

Akashi didn't finish that thought. He chose to act instead.

"Move."

He uttered that single word as he moved ahead, his eyes studying every muscle in Naruto's body in order to read the blond's next move.

But rather than trying to anticipate Akashi's movements, Naruto pounced right away. He lunged forward, aiming to knock the ball from Akashi's hands. It was straightforward, sure, but it was still problematic.

It all came down to the speed.

'So fast!' Mayuzumi couldn't believe the speed at which Naruto took off. It was almost like he was a rocket. It was that agility again. On its own, it was problematic enough. However, and Mayuzumi couldn't be sure of this just yet, but…..was the blond moving _faster_ than he had during the first half?

'It's slight, but….' Aomine smirked from his seat.

Naruto was definitely faster now, and Aomine was pretty sure he knew why.

There was no denying that panic that overtook Akashi at that moment. He was still able to see Naruto coming, though, which was why he was able to dribble the ball back and away from Naruto's reach at the last possible moment. It left him in a very bad position, and he was sure he almost lost control of the ball for a second. This was another foreign feeling for him. For someone who thrived being in control, this situation left a bad taste in his mouth.

There was no choice here. Akashi passed. Like in the first half, he was able to get around Naruto in order to pass the ball, but it was also forced. It only angered him further.

Kasamatsu almost cursed as he tried to intercept the ball, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to. During the break, Mayuzumi had been able to recharge himself and was now at full power again.

Misdirection struck again.

The new phantom slapped the ball away from Kasamatsu's reach and sent it Nebuya's way who was already posting up by the basket.

Catching the pass with ease, Nebuya felt confident in scoring the first points of the second half. That is, until he felt his back hitting a wall. No, upon a closer inspection, he realized it wasn't a wall. It was Kobori.

'What the-?'

Nebuya was caught off guard as Kobori held his ground, stopping him from getting into a favorable position in order to dunk. He couldn't even spin.

'Since when did he get this strength!?'

It was more along the lines of a desperate struggle really. Kobori knew he was nowhere near as strong as Nebuya. In terms of size and power, the Rakuzan center had him beat. The first half had all but shown that.

That didn't mean Kobori couldn't mount a defense, however weak it was. Even if it was only to delay Nebuya for a second or two, it was more than enough.

For there was another beast guarding the net now.

As Kobori guessed it, Nebuya was able to find his balance and push him back before spinning toward the net and jumping to dunk.

There wasn't enough time for Nebuya to wonder why Kobori wasn't jumping to try and stop him like he had before, as a third player burst into the scene in order to slap the ball away and out of his hands.

It was Naruto, the blond appearing out of nowhere to stop the dunk at the last moment.

'So fast!'

Nebuya was caught off guard for a second time, and it didn't take him long to realize that this was Kobori's aim all along.

'Naruto-kun.' Yuki was just as amazed. Her eyes weren't as trained as the others here, but it was the simple truth that Naruto was moving faster than before. Faster than when he had faced off against Aomine.

As for Kobori, it was shameful, but he still couldn't stop the grin that broke on his face. Alone neither he and Naruto could have stopped the play. Akashi's pass, Mayuzumi's Misdirection, and Nebuya's strength was a powerful combination, after all.

So they weren't going to fight alone either. Kobori was only slowing Nebuya down for a second or two, but it was all the time Naruto needed in order to catch up and block the dunk.

It was enough to make Imayoshi laugh. 'So he's admitting defeat, eh?'

He respected Kobori for that. A different person might have been too stubborn to accept the truth, but he had enough self-awareness to realize when he was beat. And in accepting defeat, he was able to help his team win.

How fascinating.

With the dunk blocked, the ball fell back to the floor, free for anyone to take. It was a scramble between Mibuchi and Moriyama, the latter nearly diving to the ground to take it. It proved effective as he was able to tip the ball to Kise, who graciously caught it.

Hayama quickly intercepted Kise before he could dribble away with it. It was here where the so-called _Lightning Beast_ noticed something very peculiar about his opponent.

Kise wasn't in the Zone.

'What is this?'

Hayama didn't understand. The only way Kaijō could defeat Akashi and his Emperor Eye was with Naruto and Kise working together. But if only Naruto was in the Zone, they couldn't do that. Kise didn't have the speed necessary otherwise, even when copying Naruto.

What was their plan here?

It was a thought shared by the other Rakuzan players, and a thought that almost made Kise laugh.

* * *

" _Uzumakicchi, what did you just say?"_

" _What? Did I stutter?"_

 _Moriyama shook his head. "You can't be serious, Uzumaki! Something like that is just-"_

" _It's what we have to do in order to win." Naruto cut him off, his face serious. "I know the risks, but it can't be helped."_

 _Yuki placed a hand on his back, her face worried. "Are you sure about this? If you exhaust yourself-"_

" _Don't worry. I have more than enough stamina. It's this guy we have to worry about. You remember what happened during the quarter-finals, right?"_

 _It was a bad attempt at a joke, but it also raised a good point._

 _Takeuchi understood this. "Zone drains a lot of stamina from the player, and it isn't easily recovered. It's not as bad the second time you use it. However…."_

 _Copying Naruto's moves, along with the Uncrowned Kings. And now, with what Kise planned on doing next. If he kept using Zone on top of that, he wouldn't last until the fourth quarter. And if that happened, they would only be causing more problems for themselves._

 _Sighing, Kasamatsu looked at Kise. "What do you say?"_

 _He trusted Naruto, so he would trust Kise as well._

 _Kise just stared at Naruto in silence before smiling._

" _Sure."_

 _Let's do it._

* * *

Was it the right decision? Kasamatsu didn't know, but they were about to find out.

Kise dribbled forward, but all things considered it was a normal dribble. He wasn't copying Hayama like in the second quarter, which had given him the edge.

This sort of ticked Hayama off, feeling like he was being looked down on by Kise.

"That's not nearly enough to pass me!"

As anyone could guess, Hayama was able to read Kise's dribble with ease and was already turning in the appropriate direction in order to stop Kise. But it was at that moment that Kise unveiled part two of his trap.

Kise cut back, dribbling the ball between his legs in a fashion that was all too familiar to Hayama.

Momoi gasped. 'That's-!'

Her surprise was shared by everyone else. None were as surprised as Hayama, though, who found himself falling back as he tried to keep up with Kise's dribble.

'No way!'

Hayama was powerless to stop himself, losing his balance. He fell to the floor, his eyes wide as Kise dribbled past him. Hayama had been on the receiving end of this technique before, so he knew fully well what this was.

Kise…..was copying Akashi's Emperor Eye!?

'No, it's not complete yet.' If anything, to Aomine, it still looked a bit clumsy and not as precise as Akashi's.

Even so, for Kise to be trying this…..what the hell!?

There was no one left to stop Kise from scoring, which he did. It was a simple layup, but the point was driven home.

Akashi gave Kise a hard stare, his Emperor Eye boring right into the blond.

"Ryōta…."

There was a dangerous undertone in Akashi's voice, but Kise didn't care.

"Don't look too surprised, Akashicchi." Pointing at the redhead, Kise leveled a hard stare of his own at his former captain. "I'm not the same as before. You guys are no longer above my limitations."

It was a fierce declaration of war, one that had begun in the second quarter when Kise first copied the Uncrowned Kings. This was the second part of that. Kise knew it wasn't complete, and he probably wouldn't be able to one hundred percent predict the future like Akashi. He was still going to get as close as possible, though.

The crowd was more than supportive with this idea, once again screaming in excitement.

"So that's Kise Ryōta," Okamura observed with a nod. "He's as formidable as I've heard."

Copying the other Generation of Miracles….what a terrifying skill.

Fukui was just as concerned as Naruto to be honest. Those two made quite a pair. The thought of going up against them in the future…..it wasn't an easy thought.

'For those two monsters to end up on the same team….'

Fate was cruel sometimes.

This was only the first play of the second half, and things were already this heated.

The match continued.

* * *

"Kotarō! You have to stop him!"

Mibuchi's plea went unanswered as Kise passed by Hayama, performing another ankle break on the Uncrowned King. Hayama was only able to curse in his head as he fell again.

Nebuya tried to offer some support, but it was no use as Kise quickly passed to Kobori who jumped to score, performing another layup.

Midorima readjusted his glasses. "It seems like Rakuzan's defense is crumbling."

Takao wasn't surprised. Having Kise copy Akashi was definitely a huge blow to Rakuzan's morale, not to mention the skill difference that already existed between the blond and the Uncrowned Kings. They were getting panicky, and it was affecting their game play.

"You say that, but it's still not a set game," Miyaji retorted. "Rakuzan might not be able to stop Kaijō's offense, but it's not like Kaijō has fully shut down Rakuzan either. Rakuzan still has a card left to play."

Two to be exact. And those were Mayuzumi and Mibuchi.

Sure enough, true to Miyaji's words Rakuzan was soon on the offensive with Mayuzumi passing to Mibuchi, who now entered another face-off with Moriyama.

Yuki almost winced when she saw this. This was the matchup that had her the most worried at the moment. She hated herself for it, but she didn't know what Moriyama could do against Mibuchi's shots.

Realizing what Rakuzan was up to, Naruto moved to try and intercept Mibuchi before the shooting guard could jump, but Akashi blocked his path.

"Not so fast." Akashi narrowed his eyes. "I'm not letting you go anywhere."

Naruto scowled, almost growling. He could try and shake Akashi off, but by that point it would already be too late. Even in Zone, he still wasn't fast enough to fully evade the Emperor Eye. Not yet anyway.

'Moriyama, you better do something.'

Kasamatsu was thinking along the same lines while Kobori stayed quiet. It was only Kise who didn't look worried, choosing to smile instead.

Mibuchi was the one who felt the most confident as he and Moriyama faced one another. It didn't take long for him to enter his shooting position, looking as though he was going to shoot his _Heaven_ shot.

Moriyama jumped accordingly, reacting perfectly in order to block the shot.

Or he would have if Mibuchi was actually going for it. But he wasn't, performing a fake instead.

'He's going for _Earth_ instead!' Sakurai screamed in his mind.

'No good.' Kasamatsu couldn't believe it. The bastard was trying to score another four points again. To make it worse, it would be Moriyama's fourth foul. If that happened….

"Too bad."

Mibuchi smiled, thinking he won. The smile faded real quick when he noticed that Moriyama's feet were still planted on the floor.

In other words, Moriyama had reacted to Mibuchi's fake with a fake of his own.

But how!?

Well, Moriyama couldn't take all the credit for this. It was Kise who found the answer he was looking for.

* * *

" _Kise, I have to ask you something."_

 _Said blond turned to his senior while the others filed out of the locker room._

" _What's wrong, senpai? The second half is about to start."_

 _Moriyama looked down, his fists clenched at his side. "I should have asked you sooner, but I was too caught up in my own head. I regret that."_

 _Huh?_

" _What are you saying?"_

 _Kise was confused, but Moriyama was happy to clarify._

" _Mibuchi. I can't stop him. I don't know how to react to his shots. I don't have the intuitive skills needed. Not like Uzumaki."_

 _He didn't need to say that out loud. The first half had already proved it. That said, saying it with his own words gave Moriyama some added strength, however small it was. And in this match, every ounce of strength was needed._

 _Kise knew what Moriyama was getting at._

" _You can't tell his two shots apart, but since I copied them, you think I can give you some insight."_

 _That was the gist of it. Moriyama didn't know what else to do at this point. Turning to Kise for help was his only option._

 _Unfortunately, Kise didn't have much a straightforward answer._

" _I can't really tell you how to anticipate each shot. That's something you have to figure out in each instance on your own."_

 _If Kise was in Moriyama's shoes, he would be put in a reactive situation as well. He'd probably fare much better, though, given how sharper his senses were compared to the shooting guard._

 _Moriyama winced. That was the last thing he wanted to hear._

" _However, I can tell you how each shot is performed." Kise grinned. "Once you have that down, reading him will become much easier."_

 _It was a small hope, but Moriyama was willing to bet on it._

* * *

And Moriyama had made his bet. It wasn't for long, but having Kise act out and explain how the two different shots worked had given Moriyama the insight he needed in order to put up a better fight.

By this point in the setup, Mibuchi was forced to jump and go for the three, but Moriyama was right there with him, tipping the ball just enough to take it off course.

Mibuchi let out a loud gasp, his face stricken with disbelief.

And Moriyama couldn't be happier for it. His reaction time still needed work, as he could have slapped the ball back down instead of risking the rebound. But Moriyama was still able to feel satisfied. It was the first time in the match that he felt some amount of control.

And it was all because he now understood how Mibuchi performed both of his shots.

'Your form might not change until right before you jump, but you always shift your center of gravity depending on the shot. If I can pick up on that, then telling apart your shots is well within my ability!'

The battle of the shooting guards had entered a new stage.

But the play wasn't over yet.

Thanks to Moriyama's interference, the ball missed the basket and hit the rim instead.

Below, Nebuya and Kobori fought for control, the two trying to box the other out. Kobori's resistance lasted longer than before, though, slowing Nebuya down considerably.

'This guy…..he still has more power!?'

Nebuya felt his blood boil as the two jumped for the rebound. Nebuya had been able to find a better position from which to jump, but it wasn't by much.

Not that it mattered anyhow. The time Kobori was able to buy was more than enough for Kise to jump in and steal the ball before Nebuya had the chance to grab it for himself.

'Another interference!?'

With Naruto's explosive power under him, Kise was more than a formidable threat under the net.

With the ball secured, Kise landed and didn't bother waiting to throw it down court, right to where Kasamatsu was waiting for it.

Only Mayuzumi was close enough to try and stop him, but it didn't amount to much. Kasamatsu was the better player overall, and it showed as the Kaijō captain was able to pierce Mayuzumi's defense with his fast drive, leaving the so-called phantom behind.

The spectators erupted into cheers as Kasamatsu scored.

"They stopped Rakuzan!"

"Kaijō is in the lead now!"

Yuki was amazed by how quickly the audience changed its tune, but she wasn't going to question it anymore. Besides, she was more focused in Moriyama's performance just now.

And she wasn't the only one.

"You." Moriyama found Mibuchi glaring at him. "How dare you, Moriyama-no. Yoshitaka-chan. You've angered me now. I'll definitely crush you."

If this were a different setting, Moriyama would have been bothered by Mibuchi using his first name like that. But right now, he didn't care about the little details.

"Bring it. I don't care if you are an Uncrowned King. I'm still going to stop your shots. No matter what."

During the first half, Moriyama had made a similar declaration. Mibuchi had been amused by it. Now?

He was pissed, plain and simple.

Hayama noticed this, but he knew that Mibuchi could keep his cool. Nebuya on the other hand…

The Rakuzan center was gritting his teeth as he glared at Kobori. "That guy…."

He wanted to squash him.

Hayama sighed. This was getting worse and worse for them.

"What did I tell you, Eikichi?"

Nebuya's heart stopped when Akashi addressed him. The redhead's eyes were colder than usual, if that was even possible.

"No matter who you're up against, never let down your guard. Otherwise, you're bound to make careless mistakes. If you continue to look down on your opponent, I'll sub you out. Is that clear?"

It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

Nebuya bowed his head.

"I got it, Akashi."

Arguing would only make his situation worse. Nebuya understood that much at least.

Akashi didn't say another word.

* * *

With Kobori and Moriyama finding ways to overcome the problems they had faced in the first half, Kaijō and Rakuzan were finally in a more even playing field. It wasn't just Naruto and Kise that had to do everything on defense, which allowed the two to focus their energy on offense.

But this also left Mayuzumi worried and confused. What was Akashi thinking right now? Why wasn't he making plays of his own? Leaving it to Mibuchi and the others was looking riskier and riskier. So what was his plan exactly?

Well, the answer was given to him in the next play as Akashi came face-to-face with Naruto yet again, the blond still in Zone.

More sweat trickled down Mayuzumi's forehead as Naruto's aura started to expand throughout the court.

'What's with this guy?'

It was the exact same fear Nebuya had experienced before, only it was much stronger than before. That's how imposing Naruto felt right now.

Aomine was the only one who understood why, and he had to grin.

"I thought so before, but there's no mistake. He's diving deeper into the Zone."

It was to a much higher degree than during their face-off, which explained why the blond was also faster than in the first half. For all intents and purposes, that had been the warm up.

The real deal was only just beginning.

The others around him heard this but didn't comment on it for the time being. Their attention was too focused on the face-off down on the court.

Naruto was in his usual loose stance, looking ready to strike the moment Akashi came close.

Akashi knew he couldn't move any closer. If he did, then Naruto would quite easily snatch the ball from him. It was an admission that only frustrated him further, but with the way things were right now he couldn't attack at all.

'I can't believe it.'

Mayuzumi's jaw dropped as Akashi passed to Mibuchi again.

'Uzumaki's completely shut down Akashi!?'

Was this an illusion?

'No.'

Unfortunately, it was reality.

* * *

"Oh! The shooting guard face-off continues!"

"Can Kaijō stop the _Yaksha_ again!?"

The crowd was fully invested in the one-on-one ensuing between Moriyama and Mibuchi, more so now that Moriyama seemed to have a fighting chance against the Uncrowned King.

But if anything, Moriyama's performance during the last play had changed everything. It was something the Kaijō shooting guard could see for himself. Mibuchi's whole demeanor had changed. He was no longer playful, or even cocky. His eyes were razor sharp, his body ready to pounce.

'I've clearly underestimated him,' Mibuchi thought to himself. 'These Kaijō boys….they're all dangerous. I can't pull my punches anymore.'

This was going to be a treat.

"You should be honored, Yoshitaka-chan." Moriyama frowned as Mibuchi prepared to shoot. " _Heaven_ and _Earth_. Usually, these are the only two shots I ever use in a game. However, in special occasions, I feel it necessary to pull out my specialty."

Mibuchi's words brought a certain feeling of dread to Moriyama. After all, they implied one thing.

'He has a third shot!?'

Moriyama had no time to wonder about this as Mibuchi was already squatting in preparation for his next shot.

'I can worry about the details later! For now, stopping his shot is all that matters!'

Even so, Moriyama could tell right away that this next shot was definitely not _Heaven_ or _Earth_. Mibuchi's center of gravity was different from before. Just what was it!?

As Mibuchi made to jump for the three pointer, Moriyama attempted to do the same in order to block the shot. It was then that he was met with a very haunting realization.

He couldn't jump at all. It was almost like he was stuck in place, forced down by an unknown force.

Mibuchi did not share that problem, jumping just fine and shooting the ball for a three pointer.

There was no way he was missing this time, and he didn't.

Moriyama was left dumbfounded, as were most others. What just happened?

"It doesn't make any sense," Sakurai muttered under his breath.

It was a common thought, and it pleased Mibuchi greatly as he smiled.

"This is my third shot. Not many get the chance to see it. I call it _Void_. Are you impressed?"

If Moriyama thought he was starting to understand Mibuchi's three pointers, this made him reevaluate everything again.

* * *

It was downright insulting, what came next. But really, it was just a repeat of the second quarter. While Kobori fared a little better against Nebuya, Moriyama was completely unprepared to tackle this new shot. Which is why Rakuzan focused their offense on Mibuchi, and it worked.

'Goddammit.' Kasamatsu cursed as he tried to keep Mayuzumi in his line of sight. It hadn't been long since the third quarter started, so he was still struggling with the Misdirection shtick. This meant that Mayuzumi was free to divert all passes to Mibuchi's direction. Akashi's own passes weren't helping either.

The one solid good news for them was that Kise was free to score, as Hayama was unable to keep up. A fact that was more than likely driving the boy crazy.

'But still, this isn't easy.' Kise was panting as he held the ball. Trying to perfect his copy on Akashi was nearing complete, but like with Naruto and Aomine before it took a huge toll on his body. He wanted to keep going, but there was still another angle they could play here.

Fully expecting for Kise to try and score again, Hayama was confused when the blond passed the ball instead. And who was the pass for?

Naruto of course.

All the other Rakuzan players shared that confusion, and in Akashi's case annoyance.

"What is this?" Akashi narrowed his eyes as Naruto caught the ball. "Do you really think you can pass me all by yourself? How insulting."

Trying to stop him on defense was one thing, but this?

"What are they thinking?" Momoi didn't get it. But the looks on all the players from Kaijō, including those on the bench, told her that they were utterly serious about this. "Ki-kun can't handle the Emperor Eye by himself!"

Aomine said nothing, but his eyes were dancing in excitement.

'This is it….'

This is what Aomine been waiting for.

As for Naruto, he simply took a small breath before pouncing. One moment, he was standing still. The next, he was on the move, taking off in an incredible burst of speed.

Akashi was used to this sort of thing by now, but that didn't mean he wasn't surprised by Naruto's increase in speed.

'He can still move faster!?'

It was an aggravating thought, and Akashi had to push his body to the limit in order to respond in time to what his eyes were telling him. He blocked one avenue, but Naruto had already come to a complete stop before quickly ducking to the opposite direction.

Akashi saw this and intercepted the blond again, if only barely. In response, Naruto dribbled the ball past his shoulder in a move that was very familiar to Murasakibara. With a spin, the blond caught the ball and moved in the original direction he had taken off to.

This put more pressure on Akashi, who had tried to snatch the ball before Naruto could grab it again without success. Because even though his Emperor Eye was tracking Naruto just fine, his body was just not able to keep up at this level of speed. That's how faster Naruto had become, so much so that it made his performance in the first half look cute.

It was still frustrating for Naruto to see Akashi still able to keep up and cut him off again, and so he jumped back while flinging the ball in another high-powered formless shot. The ball struck the backboard before dipping down the basket.

There were cheers of excitement as well as the clicking sound of cameras from the different photographers present court side.

Everyone was amazed, but not Naruto. His eyes were focused, his aura turning sharper and sharper.

"Not there yet," he muttered to himself, the electricity shooting out more intensely from his eyes. "Faster…..I need to be faster….."

He hadn't reached the bottom of the Zone yet. He needed to focus, and only then would he be able to achieve the level he was looking for.

Imayoshi shivered in his seat. "I'm getting goosebumps over here."

The others couldn't blame him for that. They realized what was happening. Kaijō was looking to strike the final nail in the coffin here. If Naruto was able to crush Akashi on his own, then the possibility of Rakuzan recovering was pretty slim.

But would it happen?

* * *

There was a shift in Kaijō's offense from that point on. Instead of focusing on Kise, Kasamatsu made sure to throw the ball in Naruto's direction. It was a direct confrontation against Akashi.

Zone versus the Emperor Eye, and people were loving this development.

'They must think Kise has progressed enough,' Midorima realized, his eyes staring intently at the match. 'If they can combine Kise's copy with Uzumaki's speed….'

Then they would have the two strongest tools on the board. That's what Kaijō was going for here. Like Rakuzan before, they were aiming for a quick and decisive blow.

However, it wasn't just offensively that Naruto took the spotlight. More and more he was coming to the rescue on defense as well, teaming up with both Kobori and Moriyama to stop Nebuya and Mibuchi respectively. It wasn't what Takeuchi had planned originally, but he was going to take full advantage of Naruto's stamina.

It was Nebuya who suffered the most as Naruto completely blocked any of his dunks and other inside plays. Kobori lacked the physical power to stop him, but Naruto had the speed and the raw strength to make sure he didn't score. Just as he had shown before.

'This is crazy.' Mibuchi held the ball again as Moriyama tried to pin him down. 'Just how much stamina does that guy have!?'

But what bothered him most was Naruto's constant attempt at trying to get by Akashi on a one-on-one. It hadn't worked yet, but the attacks kept coming. No one from Kaijō seemed bothered by it at all, not even Kise. This only made Mibuchi worry more.

"Big Sis Reo! Pass the ball!"

Hayama's cry alerted Mibuchi too late of the coming danger, which so happened to be Naruto again. The blond appeared from behind to tip the ball from Mibuchi's hands, forcing the shooter to lose the ball.

While Mibuchi was gaping at this, Moriyama moved to grab the now free ball before tossing it to Naruto who took off like a bullet. He almost made it all the way to the opposing basket if not for Akashi coming to the defense at the last minute.

The redhead was panting heavily, and he looked the most worn out. It was to be expected. Naruto had slowly been getting faster and faster as the quarter progressed, and Akashi's body just couldn't keep up with it.

'It's absurd. It's ridiculous. I am absolute! Presenting myself in this manner….'

It drove Akashi to the edge.

Unaware of Akashi's mental state, Naruto focused all of his senses on this next play. It had been a grind, but he could finally feel it.

He was finally at the bottom.

Just in time too, as Kasamatsu was getting impatient with all of this.

"Enough already." The Kaijō captain narrowed his eyes. "Just end this once and for all."

Naruto was going to do just that.

For Akashi, if there was a metaphor he could use to describe what happened next, as he moved to try and cut off Naruto's advance, it was like glass breaking. Like the reality before him was only an illusion, shattering to a million pieces. That reality of course being Naruto, who stood before him one moment and then vanishing the next.

No, not _vanishing_. He was just simply that fast.

This wasn't a normal drive either. This was a top speed drive powered by the Zone, with Naruto being submerged at its lowest level. It was as though he became an orange spark. And this time, Akashi was unable to do anything about it.

For it had finally happened. Naruto, all by himself, had finally gotten past Akashi and his Emperor Eye. No tricks, no crossovers. Just pure speed.

The shock that spread throughout the court was self-evident, as the other Rakuzan players froze where they stood.

'You can't be serious,' Mibuchi thought with wide eyes. 'Those movements just now…..just how fast can he go!?'

This dwarfed anything else Naruto had shown up to this point.

'It's just like my dribble,' Hayama realized, stunned by Naruto's showing. 'No, it's something beyond that. It's not just the ball that disappears…..he does too!'

It was almost like a lightning drive instead of a lightning dribble. In other words, it was a technique in its own right.

'Uzumakicchi.' Kise could barely contain his excitement. 'You're amazing, alright.'

The crowd erupted into more cheers as Naruto dunked, completely unopposed.

The Rakuzan players only watched, helpless and confused.

There was one question that needed to be asked by this point. What was Rakuzan going to do next?

* * *

On the bench for Rakuzan's team, the team manager gulped as he stared at Naruto in disbelief. His name was Higuchi Shōta, and quite frankly he was nervous right now. For very good reasons.

"Coach, shouldn't we call a timeout?"

This was the perfect moment for that. They needed to regroup. Not even passing to Mibuchi and Nebuya was working anymore. If they kept going like this, they were going to lose total control of the game.

Their coach, Shirogane, didn't seem to think so. He was looking at Akashi who had his face lowered, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"No."

Higuchi almost shouted, "What? Why not?"

"Leave it to Akashi."

What the hell? But Akashi had just been totally defeated! What else could he do at this point?

He really didn't want to, but Higuchi bit his tongue and didn't argue further. It was the coach's orders, so he couldn't argue.

There was a familiar sentiment among the Rakuzan players on the court. They needed to rethink their strategy, right?

Akashi didn't make that call, though. Rather, he simply turned to Mibuchi.

"Reo. You four will head down for the next play."

"W-What? Sei-chan, what does that-"

Mibuchi's question was left hanging as Akashi gave him a curt stare in response.

"Just go."

Mibuchi, Nebuya, Hayama, and Mayuzumi knew. There was no room for a discussion here.

"What are they planning?" It was Yuki who wondered this out loud, her face troubled.

Akashi didn't seem defeated. There was still fighting spirit in him left. But what more could he do at this point?

Yuki really shouldn't have asked.

"Get back!" Kasamatsu tried to rally the others for defense but even he had to stop when he noticed that Akashi wasn't joining the rest of his team for the upcoming play.

'What is he thinking?' Kobori thought, confused by this.

Kise and Naruto shared a brief look with one another. They were just as confused as the others, but they could worry about it later. For now, stopping this next play was their top priority.

'Sei-chan.' Mibuchi's head wasn't in the game right now. He knew what that look was. He had seen it once before, after Kaijō's match against Tōō. For once, Akashi had seemed excited. But now, it was the opposite. It was as if he was hiding his emotions behind a wall, just ready to explode.

"Big Sis Reo!"

There was another shout of warning from Hayama, but Mibuchi was too troubled by his thoughts to stop Moriyama from slapping the ball out of his hands.

It was another failure, only this one stung more deeply than the rest since it could have been easily avoided if he had been more focused.

Moriyama, not one to miss an opportunity, quickly ran for the loose ball before Mibuchi could recover. Once he had it, he didn't hesitate throwing it to Naruto. Moriyama could have tried to score by himself, but right now hammering Akashi down was more important.

If Naruto could score twice in a row on Akashi without the redhead being able to put up a fight, then their victory would be right around the corner.

And Naruto was going to make sure that happened.

He was fully submerged in the Zone now. He was confident no one could keep up with him in this state. This was made all the more clear when the Uncrowned Kings failed to react in time to try and cut him off. Only Akashi was there to defend the basket as he hadn't moved from his position.

Naruto didn't care either way. Not even Akashi could stop him now.

'I'll jam this in and finish it!'

With a scream, Naruto dashed forward, seemingly disappearing like an orange spark again.

But the ball didn't follow him this time.

'What!?' Yuki had to stand up from the bench as she gasped. 'Naruto-kun was-!?'

Kise couldn't believe it either. 'Did Akashicchi just steal the ball!?'

He had. With a simple flick of his arm, Akashi had been able to take the ball from Naruto's hands just as the blond was passing by him.

"This farce has gone on long enough." Reddish-pinkish currents of electricity shot out from Akashi's eyes, showing his ascension to the Zone for all to admire. "It's about time I remind you just why I'm always right."

Murasakibara, Midorima, and Aomine all recoiled in their seats. Akashi was able to enter the Zone as well?

'Forget the minor details!' Naruto didn't allow this revelation to slow him down and instead bolted back to try and stop Akashi from advancing.

The Rakuzan captain was already sprinting down the court, however. But proving his speed, Naruto was still able to catch up to him.

"You're not going anywhere!" Naruto declared, his aura growing in intensity again.

"H'mph." Akashi didn't bother with words and moved forward. Naruto made to cut off Akashi's route of attack, but the redhead wasn't playing in the same level as before. He didn't fear getting close to Naruto now. With this newfound confidence, Akashi cut back at the last second before ducking in the opposite direction. In doing so, he trapped Naruto in an all too familiar ambush.

'No!' With the high level speeds they were moving in, Naruto wasn't able to find his footing like before and fell back, falling for Akashi's ankle break. It was almost like he was experiencing it for the first time again.

'Not good!' Seeing this, Kise attempted to step in while the others tried to mount their own defense.

"It's useless." Akashi didn't bother wasting too much time, quickly cutting past Moriyama and Kobori like they weren't even there. Only Kise and Kasamatsu were left by the basket, the two looking determined.

"You've been getting in my way all this time." Akashi's eyes narrowed. "I'll remind you just why I was the one leading you, Ryōta."

There was no time for a reply as Akashi was already moving again. He ducked to the right, but only Kasamatsu fell for the lure. Kise was able to see through Akashi's fake and made for the opposite direction.

"Don't insult me too much, Ryōta." Akashi's Emperor Eye focused right on the blond. "There is no way a fake can surpass the original."

Kise's eyes widened. He knew what Akashi was getting at, but his body was already in motion. He instinctively tried to correct his mistake and move back, but in doing so he only fell for Akashi's ankle break.

In that moment, Akashi had performed two crossovers simultaneously, reading both Kasamatsu and Kise like a book. The end result was the two players dropping to the floor like flies, unable to keep their balance.

And all Akashi had to do was walk by like he had nothing to worry about. Kise was too dumbfounded to even try to stand again.

Akasi made to jump, looking like he was going to dunk. Probably in an attempt to show off.

Or he would have if Naruto didn't appear at the last second with a jump, stepping in between Akashi and the hoop.

It was just another showing for Naruto's speed, but unfortunately he was in a reactive situation. Akashi had the initiative, and while before that wouldn't be a problem Akashi's body could now keep up with Naruto's tremendous speed.

"How futile."

The redhead spun just as he was about to jump, bypassing Naruto's block altogether. Since he was in midair, Naruto wasn't able to react quickly enough to attempt a second block. Akashi was free to finish the play with a simple layup, his face cold.

Simple, but elegant.

"Understand this," he said, voice full of authority. "Your defeat is certain. You cannot defeat me."

He was absolute, after all.

* * *

"Oh, amazing! He went coast to coast all by himself!"

"He scored right through the whole team!"

The shock and amazement by that last play didn't just extend to Kaijō and the audience. Akashi's own team was alarmed by what they just witnessed.

'He didn't need us at all,' Mayuzumi thought, his expression one of pure astonishment.

But wasn't it better to say that Akashi was _better_ without the rest of them? From that showing alone, it looked as though they were only holding Akashi back.

"I don't believe this." Yuki fell back to the bench as she shook her head. "He still had this level!?"

Takeuchi was surprised as well. "Yes. This is indeed troubling. However…."

There was no need to panic just yet. They had their trusty aces, after all. That's why they couldn't give up.

Speaking of which, Naruto was helping Kise back to his feet as Kasamatsu, Kobori, and Moriyama gathered around the two.

"I didn't think we would be facing a situation like this," Kise said, his smile bittersweet. "Leave it to Akashicchi to have such a trump card."

"Huh!?" Kasamatsu almost kicked him. "This isn't the time for admiration, you idiot! Better yet, what are you going to do about it!?"

What was he going to do? Well, the answer was simple.

Kise looked at Naruto. "You don't have any complaints, do you?"

Naruto did, but there was no other choice now.

Stepping forward, the whiskered blond cracked his neck, his eyes turning sharper and more animalistic.

"Let's go."

Kise was right beside him, yellow torrents of electricity shooting from his eyes.

"Right on!"

Smirking, Kasamatsu followed behind them, with the determined Kobori and Moriyama in tow.

Aomine smirked as well. "Their spirit isn't dead yet."

If anything, was it possible to kill Kaijō's spirit in the first place? Aomine didn't know, but he didn't care. This was exactly what he wanted to see.

Akashi faced the two blonds. He was more than prepared to take them on again.

The third quarter raged on.

* * *

 **I can't believe we reached 800+ favorites. Reaching 1k doesn't seem impossible now. I can dream big! Much thanks for that.**

 **This chapter is a bit late, but real life is a pain. I'm sure you can understand. No way getting around it. But I'm not dead.**

 **Yet.**

 **We soon approach the climax of the Inter-High finals. Who will ultimately win I wonder.**

 **Hope you've enjoyed it.**

 **Till next time.**


	16. We're Kaijō!

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15:  
** **We're Kaijō!**

The clock was ticking down on the final minutes of the third quarter, but the true sparks were only just starting to fly. For anyone who wasn't Naruto, Kise, or Akashi, it was oppressive to just stand on the court. The reason for this should be obvious.

'All three of them are in the Zone.' Yuki had to make sure her heart wasn't beating too erratically as the aura from the three powerful players washed over her. It really did feel like she was watching three titans coming down on one another.

It wasn't a face off that happened every day, and those present couldn't be happier to see this.

Up in his seat, Imayoshi felt like laughing, which would definitely would have spook those around him. But he just couldn't help it!

"So Kaijō isn't wasting anytime, huh? Already pulling out their trump card again….."

He wasn't surprised to see Sakurai giving him a look filled with confusion.

"Trump card? What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He gestured to Naruto and Kise who stood side-by-side, their faces full of nothing but determination. "Their double team. You can definitely call it Kaijō's trump card. Not even Aomine was able to do anything against them. Something like that is beyond scary to face unprepared."

Aomine almost scowled when he heard this, but he was too fixated on what was about to happen to care too much. Besides, it wasn't like Imayoshi was _wrong_. Naruto and Kise were already dangerous alone. But together?

Aomine doubted there was anyone who could stop their double play on their own.

Akashi didn't seem to have that concern, though. But why?

'You should already know, Akashi.'

They were able to stop him in the first half when working together. So why wasn't he worried at all?

Deep down, Aomine already knew what the answer was. It wasn't like he had been any different during his match against Naruto and Kise, as embarrassing it was to admit that. Nothing he could do about that now, but Akashi was looking to make the same mistake.

How pitiful.

Soon after, the ball was thrown in for the next play, and it was Kaijō who was going on the offensive.

Akashi might have just defeated them all by himself in the last play, but as Aomine had noted earlier that wasn't going to stop Kaijō's momentum. They still had faith their two aces, after all.

Everyone saw it coming. It couldn't happen any other way. Even Kasamatsu felt like he was only a bystander as he threw the ball to Naruto right away.

There was no other way around this.

"So that's how it's going to be." Akashi faced Naruto, completely unperturbed. The crackling from the electricity shooting from his eyes matched Naruto's perfectly. "You still plan on defying me."

Naruto said nothing. He simply took a deep breath as he relaxed, his stance loose. It was a sight Akashi had grown accustomed since the match had started.

Hayama, who was marking Kise, felt like he was standing next to an unstoppable train. He had to stop himself from showing any hesitation or even fear.

'When he moves….'

Kise wasn't even looking at Hayama, though. He wasn't looking at anyone really. He kept his eyes forward, fixated solely on the hoop that lied just ahead. It really only sent more shivers down Hayama's spine.

Could these two really coordinate with one another without even looking at each other?

Turns out. Yes, they could.

Naruto moved first. He already knew that he was within Akashi's defensive zone. The only reason the redhead hadn't moved first was because he knew Naruto could react to that, and it would leave himself exposed to missing a pass.

But now Akashi came. With his Emperor Eye, he saw clearly that Naruto wasn't trying to pass. He could fully go for the ball without having to second-guess himself. He was confident in his speed now that he was in the Zone. Matched with his Emperor Eye, there was no way he was going to lose to Naruto's animal-like reflexes.

However, as Naruto raised the ball to start his dribble, it was suddenly gone from his hands.

'What!?' It took Mibuchi a second or so to catch up with the scene, his eyes unable to keep up with the speed that was being presented to him here.

Not Akashi, though. He saw it clearly, but even his eyes had to play catch up. Why? Because it wasn't Naruto who had made the ball disappear.

It was Kise, who had moved in just as Naruto was raising the ball. He had moved a split of a second earlier than Akashi, and because Akashi's eyes weren't focused on him the redhead was unable to see him coming and thus couldn't stop Kise from taking the ball.

'That's impossible!' Even after coming to terms with what had just happened, Nebuya was still in disbelief. 'He was really able to get to the ball before Akashi!?'

Something like that shouldn't have happened. Akashi should have been able to reach the ball before Kise, since his Emperor Eye allowed him to be one step ahead from everyone else. Kise's speed in the Zone shouldn't have mattered in this instance. Not anymore. Not with Akashi being in the Zone as well.

But yet!

Aomine smirked. 'They're good.'

Those two had moved perfectly, timing their moves just right. Was it because they wanted to win? Or because they were on the same team? Aomine didn't know, but he was certain of the result.

'Kise was able to anticipate Uzumaki's next move before Akashi could.' That's the conclusion Midorima had arrived at. It was the only thing that made sense.

It was the trust they had in one another being put in full display, and everyone watching loved it as they cheered.

When Akashi was able to shift his focus to Kise, the blond was already speeding down the court. Nebuya tried to do something about it, of course, but there was no way he was going to be able to stop Kise when he was in this state.

The interference was all Akashi needed to catch up, though.

'Not yet!' The former captain of the Generation of Miracles ran faster than he had ever done before, using all the boost the Zone was providing him with to arrive where he needed to be.

As Kise got around Nebuya and his meager defense, he was met with Akashi on the other side.

"Ryōta! You will not win!" Akashi declared. "I already told you. I am absolute!"

The level of speed Akashi showed stunned everyone watching. It was definitely on a whole other level than what he had shown thus far.

The anger radiating from his voice was easily detected, but Kise didn't care. He wasn't here to lose this match.

Without a word, Kise ducked to the left, looking as if he was going to try and shoot past Akashi like he had with Nebuya. Even Akashi believed that's what Kise was trying to do. His Emperor Eye clearly showed that. There was no room for doubt here, right?

And yet, the ball suddenly disappeared just like it had last time, taken from Kise's hands.

'Again!' Takao was at the edge of his seat. He struggled to keep up, but he was able to eventually see that Naruto was now back in the play again. But one thing was already very clear to him.

Akashi couldn't keep up with the two of them. Even though he had ascended into the Zone, that fact hadn't changed.

"That can't be!" Mibuchi cried out in a panic. "Kotarō! Eikichi! Stop him!"

Hayama, who had been struggling to keep up since Kise first shook him, and Nebuya, who desperately jumped from behind Naruto to stop the incoming shot that he knew was coming, both converged at the same spot around Naruto just as said blond moved for his shot

For the Kaijō players, it was sort of incredible. Akashi might have abandoned his team, but they were still playing and trying to support him.

It did little good, though, as Naruto was able to escape their double team with little effort. He did this with a simple fake, looking as though he was positioning for a formless shot but instead he ducked down and went in with his drive.

The two Uncrowned Kings just didn't have the reflexes to keep up, but it still gave Akashi the opening he needed to perform one final desperate struggle.

Because of Nebuya and Hayama's interference, Naruto was already inside the free throw line. In this position, there was little room for doubt as to what Naruto was going to do.

Naruto was going for a dunk.

That's why Akashi jumped just as Naruto jumped. The two players met in the air at the same time, both letting out determined shouts that shook the hearts of all that heard them.

The two were in strong positions. Unlike last time, Akashi was able to jump with perfect form. He was confident he could stop Naruto from dunking just as he had in the first half. He might not have the physical strength, but with the right timing anything was possible.

It was definitely a cause of concern, even if Naruto didn't seem to think so. But in the end, that didn't matter as this wasn't a one-on-one. Why? Because Kise was right there in the air with them, showing up at the last possible second to support Naruto.

The two blond's came together for the dunk, putting everything they had into it. It was the two of them versus Akashi, and it was Akashi who came crashing down as the two Kaijō players completely overpowered him.

It was a sight that every other Kaijō player seared into their brain, whether they were on the court or the bench. How could they ever forget such a memorable moment?

Aomine, Midorima, and Murasakibara all shared similar reactions, albeit theirs was more along the lines of stunned silence. It was the first time they were seeing something like this. Even the play from the first half didn't compare to this.

When Akashi came tumbling down to the ground, their eyes only widened further.

Even with the Zone…..Akashi was just defeated?

The redhead himself wasn't faring much better either. He could only look up at Naruto and Kise who stood over him, their frames overshadowing him. This was the second time this had happened to him, but for some reason this loss cut Akashi deeper than before.

"They did it!" Yuki didn't waste anytime celebrating. Her high spirit was more than enough to make the bench players come out of their reverent silence and start cheering as well.

This spirit spread across the court, reaching those up in their seats as they let out more cheers of their own.

"Heh, damn straight." Kasamatsu merely smirked, with Kobori and Moriyama doing the same.

"It can't be…." Mibuchi didn't know what to say. Hayama, Nebuya, and Mayuzumi all felt the same way he did. It was like they were staring at a movie or something. This couldn't be reality…..could it?

But who could blame them. This had been Akashi's trump card. His ace in the hole. It should have guaranteed them their victory, even if it meant that he was discarding them.

Instead, they just witnessed the exact opposite happen. And not long after he showed his hand.

Even at his "best," Akashi was no match for Naruto and Kise combined. That was a fact Rakuzan learned the hard way, and it wasn't one they were going to recover from quickly.

* * *

"How strange." Imayoshi's comment caught the others by surprise. "I didn't think Akashi would be this…..predictable."

After what he had shown in the first half, Imayoshi had expected Akashi to read Naruto's and Kise's movements better than this. Falling for the same trick twice….wasn't that strange?

Aomine didn't think the same, though. If anything, he understood perfectly just what Akashi was going through.

Midorima could attest to that feeling, and to some extent Murasakibara was in that camp.

It was simple really. Akashi had relied too much on his eyes. He was fully convinced his Emperor Eye could not be beaten, so he stubbornly clung to them without relying on anything else. Not even his team. He was unable to adapt, and when his eyes failed him he failed as well.

That's exactly why the last minute and a half of the third quarter came to a very disappointing end.

'What?' Even Yuki started to notice something was amiss the moment Akashi failed to make a proper shot. And this was just with Naruto covering him. Under normal circumstances, that should have been easy points for the redhead.

But instead he missed, the ball hitting the rim and going out of bounds.

'This feeling.' Mayuzumi was worried. Maybe even paranoid. But that was justifiable when Akashi was easily passed by Naruto. The whiskered blond didn't even have to use his full speed to accomplish this. There was no strength in the redhead's defense. No sense of authority. No confidence.

Just emptiness.

'What the hell are you doing, Akashi!?' It was Hayama who started to get angry first. That anger only increased when Kise stole the ball from Akashi. Then later when Akashi failed to even dribble properly, and so Naruto was able to get an easy steal of his own.

He wasn't even running that fast anymore! Even Mayuzumi started to become quicker than Akashi, a troubling sign for anyone in the know.

The worst part? Even his Zone was gone. His mind just wasn't focused anymore, and thus the domain pushed him out. It left as quickly as it came. That's how unforgiving the Zone could be.

"Akashi-kun." Aomine heard Momoi's worried whisper, but he kept his eyes on the game.

It was a tragedy to the highest order, and he couldn't look away.

Naruto and Kise saw the change too of course. How could they not? But it didn't affect how they played in the slightest.

They were going to win, and that was that.

"Coach." On the sidelines, Higuchi was gripping his knees with worry. "We have to call a time out-"

"That's not necessary." The Rakuzan coach's face was grim. Seeing his star player fall into such a terrible state had that affect on him. "The quarter is about to end. Calling a time out now would be a waste of time."

True enough, the quarter was down to its last ten seconds, with Rakuzan in possession of the ball. Not that it really changed much.

Akashi held possession, but instead of going through by himself he surprised everyone at the last second by actually passing the ball.

Kasamatsu frowned. 'So he's not fighting alone anymore. But…..'

Something was wrong.

The pass was for Mibuchi, who almost failed to catch the ball since it was thrown so awkwardly.

'W-What!? What kind of pass was that!?'

It was nothing like what Mibuchi was used to getting from Akashi. It totally felt like he was receiving a pass from a completely different person!

It was desperate, but Mibuchi still went for the play. Moriyama was there to try and stop him, quickly trying to decipher his moves. But his slow reaction time proved to be his downfall and so Mibuchi was able to get the space he needed to shoot his _Heaven_ shot.

Just in time too, as the buzzer went off just as the ball was in midair.

Rakuzan managed to get the buzzer beater, and the crowd had to cheer for the shot even if it looked a little clunky at the start.

"Oooh, the third quarter is finally over!"

"Just one more to go!"

"What's gonna happen next?"

Akashi's terrible performance at the end hadn't hampered the mood of the audience it seemed. But the same couldn't be said for his team.

Nebuya and Hayama didn't bother to hide their disgust as they glared at their captain, the two walking off the court. Mibuchi didn't even look at him while Mayuzumi kept his eyes forward.

And Akashi? He bowed his head, not meeting anyone's gaze. It was another show of weakness for anyone who knew him. What he was thinking was anyone's guess.

Naruto and Kise just watched all of this from a distance, their faces unreadable. They had to wonder about one thing, though.

Was this really the limit of Akashi Seijūrō?

* * *

"That's just strange."

Midorima couldn't find any fault with Takao's statement.

"I never thought Akashi was so…..brittle." That was the best word Takao could use to describe the current situation.

"It's only natural I suppose." Midorima readjusted his glasses, his voice calm. It matched the sharp look in his eyes perfectly. "For the first time in his life, Akashi Seijūrō feels defeat upon him."

It wasn't like his one-on-one with Murasakibara either. Because then, his Emperor Eye had managed to secure him his win. Here?

His eyes were useless.

"T'ch, damn sensitive first years." Miyaji scowled. "Are you trying to show off or something?"

The Shūtoku captain, a third year by the name of Ōtsubo Taisuke, shook his head.

"I don't think he's saying that as a compliment, Mijyaji."

Sure enough, the results were speaking for themselves. Losing focus just because you were pushed back like this…..it was unbecoming of a player, especially a captain. It was one of the worst things you could do when the stakes were so high.

But it was unavoidable. Midorima understood that. This was foreign territory for Akashi, after all. Now that his trump card was defeated, he didn't know how to act. He probably felt lost and confused.

The question is. Would he recover? Or would he buckle to the situation?

'But trying to stop Uzumaki and Kise now is…..'

Impossible perhaps?

No, it wasn't. There was still an opening available. Rakuzan still had a chance to win this game. That's what Midorima believed. However, it all depended on whether or not Akashi could recover.

A most delicate position indeed.

* * *

There was nothing to be said among the Rakuzan players. The Uncrowned Kings were all in their own little bubble at the moment. Frustration was the common theme here.

Mayuzumi wasn't all that different either, although he still had enough of an open mind to look at the others.

What were they going to do?

Shirogane stood before them, his arms crossed. He could say many things at this moment, to try and sound encouraging. But they wouldn't amount to anything in the end. They didn't need words, after all.

'I still can't believe it. Akashi was hiding such a sensitive side….?'

It didn't make any sense. More like. Were they even the same person?

There wasn't much choice here anyway. Akashi wasn't saying anything in his defense. He still had his head low, not looking at anyone. It was almost like he was trying to hide from the rest of the world. Or maybe he was just operating on auto-pilot? His eyes didn't have any life in them anymore, that's for sure.

It was a hard decision, but Shirogane still moved ahead. For the good of the team.

"Akashi, you're-….."

* * *

To be completely honest, Akashi wasn't even listening to the man. He wasn't listening to anyone. The sound just couldn't reach him. He could see the man's lips moving, but that was it. No sound came out. Just. Nothing.

" _You are weak."_

The other voice was back, and unlike with the coach Akashi could hear this voice very well.

How frustrating.

" _You're letting your own weakness affect the others. You are going to lose."_

Weakness? How laughable. He wasn't here because he was weak. He was here because he was strong!

" _No. You were my weakness. That's why you're here."_

No. No! That wasn't true at all.

" _Can't you realize it by now? You can't win as you are. Fighting alone is-"_

'You know nothing!'

It was like Akashi was staring at a mirror again, only this time the mirror was inside his head.

He glared at the reflection.

'This game….it isn't over yet.'

" _Then why aren't you doing anything?"_

To this, Akashi said nothing. Not because he wanted to stay silent. No, it was because he _couldn't_.

There was nothing he could say to defend himself.

" _You've seen it, haven't you? The path we abandoned. The path Kise has found. It's given him strength. So much so that we've become this unsightly."_

It was only a setback. Yes, a small setback. But there was still something Akashi could do. He could still win this game….!

" _No, you can't. If we stay as we are, we will definitely lose."_

Lose? That wasn't possible. They had never lost before. To lose now would be….

" _You can't imagine it, can you? Truth be told, I'm the same as you. No, perhaps I'm a little different. I did think losing wouldn't be so bad at first. A foreign sentiment to you, I'm sure. But now, I've changed my mind. After seeing them play together….it's made my heart beat in anticipation. In excitement. Strange, isn't it? It's not something I've felt toward basketball in a long time."_

Akashi had no reply.

" _It's a very familiar feeling. Wasn't it something Kuroko said long ago….? Ah, or maybe this was the answer he found?"_

The answer?

'Our wager….'

" _Uzumaki has nothing to do with that, and yet….."_

Akashi lowered his head once more. The reflection in front of him seemed to move forward, almost like it was stepping right through the glass. It wasn't just a reflection anymore.

" _They're alike, don't you think?"_

Again, there was no answer. It wasn't long before the reflection was standing in Akashi's place, and Akashi began to disappear.

Or maybe he had been the reflection all along…..?

Well, it didn't matter really. Not anymore. There was only one important fact here.

Akashi Seijūrō was going to win this game.

* * *

"You can't be serious." Mayuzumi wasn't going to have any of this. He knew full well what their coach was about to say, but he couldn't stand by and let it happen. Not without expressing his disgust first. He had kept it inside for sometime now, and he needed to get it out.

It was something of a shock for the others as Mayuzumi got up and stood before Akashi. It was the first time they were seeing the quiet Mayuzumi take charge, after all.

"Are you really going to continue with this embarrassing charade?" Mayuzumi glared at the redhead. "You've talked big this entire time, but this is all you've got to show for it? Don't make me laugh. Are you really that weak?"

There was nothing but gaping from the others, but Mayuzumi ignored them. His focus rested solely on the boy in front of him.

"More like, just who are you?"

It was a simple question, but to Akashi it held deep significance. For _both_ of them.

"You're asking a foolish question."

When Akashi raised his head for the world to see, it wasn't just Mayuzumi who was surprised.

"Just who do you think I am?" Standing up, Akashi faced Mayuzumi head on, no longer fearful or confused. Only Akashi's face didn't hold anger or even coldness. There was but a simple smile that reached his eyes. It was an expression Mayuzumi had never seen on Akashi before, and he didn't know what to make of it.

"You...just who are you?"

Akashi's smile widened a little.

"I'm Akashi Seijūrō of course."

The original was finally back on the court.

* * *

For Kaijō, the two minute break was more of a quiet affair. They all collected their thoughts as well as their strength. For better or worse, there were only ten minutes left in the game.

They could hold nothing back.

As the buzzer blew again to signal the end of the break, Yuki watched them go with a somewhat wary look. She had come to learn that nothing was truly set in stone until the last second of the game.

But she had to keep her faith. It was the least she could do.

'Everyone….good luck.'

She didn't need to say this out loud. The five understood this well. And it wasn't just Yuki's wishes that were with them. Every other player on the bench felt the same way.

They weren't going to let those wishes down.

"Ohoho, so they're finally back." Only someone like Imayoshi could take immense pleasure at the current situation. More specifically, at Rakuzan's current predicament. "Are they going to recover during the last quarter? Or will Kaijō topple down the emperor?"

How exciting~

Aomine's eyebrow twitched. "You've got a bad attitude there, four-eyes."

"F-Four-eyes!?"

Imayoshi's cry of dismay toward his nickname went ignored. Even if the others didn't agree with Imayoshi's sentiment, they were just as curious to see what came next.

They were all surprised when they saw Akashi approach Naruto and Kise, with the two feeling just as surprised.

Naruto frowned. "Are you here to threaten us again or what?"

His disdain toward the former captain of the Generation of Miracles was obvious, but Akashi only smiled it off.

"Not at all, Uzumaki-kun. If anything, I was here to introduce myself."

Introduce….what?

While Naruto was confused, Kise caught on right away. "Akashicchi….?"

The redhead offered a similar smile to Kise. "It's been a while, Kise. There are many things I want to say, but…..I believe that can wait for now. I believe we're all ready to finish this, right?"

Kise was left speechless as Akashi walked back to his team. It was only after Naruto slapped him on the back that he returned to the land of the living.

"Hey, what the hell was that all about?"

The others, who had been eavesdropping, all had the same question.

But Kise shook his head. "I can give you the details later. Let's just say….we're about to be in for a tough time."

While those words may have worried others, Naruto only grinned.

"Is that so?"

He didn't quite understand, but if it meant that their victory wasn't secured yet then he couldn't ask for more.

'Bring it on.'

* * *

The minds of the Rakuzan players were filled with countless thoughts that they were trying to organize. One thing was certain. There was no denying the wave of determination they felt as they set foot on the court. What else were they supposed to feel after Akashi had _asked_ for their help just before the buzzer sounded off?

Akashi wasn't going to fight alone. Not anymore. And they were all for that.

It wasn't just the players on the court who noticed this shift in Akashi's demeanor. Right away, Aomine, Midorima, and Murasakibara were on edge when they saw Akashi standing with his team. At first they thought it was just their imagination.

They realized it wasn't when Akashi first got the ball and moved for the basket, officially starting the fourth quarter of the finals.

Right away, Naruto stood in Akashi's way, his eyes emitting the familiar orange electricity. He still wasn't out of the Zone, but that didn't seem to worry Akashi any.

He wasn't smiling this time, but Naruto could still see that there was something different about Akashi. Something fundamental had changed about him during the break, and Naruto couldn't figure out what it was.

'What is he planning?'

The redhead wasn't in the Zone anymore, and by the of the last quarter he hadn't been able to do much of anything. Naruto felt pretty confident in stopping Akashi from advancing.

It was almost like Akashi was giving him a reality check when he passed right away instead of moving ahead on his own.

It wasn't just a normal pass, though. For one, it moved right through Naruto's immediate vicinity. Which meant the blond should have been able to stop it or at least be able to react to it.

But no. Even with Naruto's instincts, the ball managed to get through with no difficulty.

The pass headed straight for Nebuya, who caught it with ease. It was a perfect pass if he was being honest. He couldn't explain it very well, but the feel of the ball was able to give him something of a boost.

Boost or not, Nebuya moved right in and dunked over Kobori who wasn't able to stop him or even slow him down like before.

As the crowd cheered, happy to see that Rakuzan was still pressing on, Aomine, Midorima, and Murasakibara all came to a startling conclusion.

Kise had it as well. 'That pass…...no doubt about it.'

'It's the same passes we used to get,' Murasakibara thought, remembering their time at Teikō.

Those wonderful passes that felt so easy to catch. It felt like an eternity since they last saw one.

"Nice dunk, Nebuya."

And that was the other thing.

Akashi was giving Nebuya a compliment….?

What the hell?

Nebuya couldn't help but grin widely, his enthusiasm rising further.

"I don't get it." Kasamatsu's eyes were a little wide, clearly baffled. "Up until now, his passes have been a pain in the ass. You're telling me he was holding back?"

"That's not it." Kise's face was troubled. "Akashicchi has simply…..changed back."

Changed back?

Moriyama frowned. "What does that even mean?"

"The details can wait. Just know this." Kise looked at the retreating Akashi. "He's more dangerous now than ever before."

* * *

When Kise first uttered those words, the others had all been expecting to see something major from Akashi. Instead, they were treated to a very different sight.

'Goddammit!' Kasamatsu looked livid as Mayuzumi managed to get around him again. The new phantom disappeared from sight and diverted Akashi's pass back over to Mibuchi. Unlike last time, Mibuchi had no problems making the shot. If anything, he was probably even a little bit faster than before.

This didn't bode well for Moriyama at all, who had already been struggling to keep up with the Uncrowned King to begin with.

The same thing kept repeating itself. Akashi would never engage directly, rather just hanging back and providing support with his passes. It was still effective, though, as not even Naruto with his Zone-amplified instincts was able to do anything about his passes.

Conversely, Kaijō still had their two aces, which Rakuzan could do nothing about. So it wasn't like they were falling behind or anything.

Still….something just wasn't right about this.

'This Akashi….he's just too normal,' Naruto thought as he stared at the redhead.

"Normal, huh?" Imayoshi could tell exactly just what Naruto was thinking. The blond's face gave it all away. "I wouldn't be thinking that if I were you."

Otherwise, he was bound to regret it.

Wakamatsu didn't understand, though. "I don't get it? Akashi is only just….playing a supportive role. How is that supposed to be intimidating?"

Imayoshi sighed. "You really don't see it, do you? Having a massive supporting player can be huge, especially if they're at this level."

No, it was more like Akashi was kind of perfect at this? To a scary degree. He was so good that it was having a _very_ noticeable impact on the whole team.

'I don't like this.' Kasamatsu felt like something massive was happening, but he couldn't tell what it was. And he didn't like feeling lost.

The others were all in the same boat, their eyes gleaming with uncertainty and unrest.

Noticing this, Akashi chuckled a little. "You shouldn't worry so much, Kaijō. It's not as though you should be worrying about me."

Even as he said this, Akashi's eyes were shrouded in the same reddish-pinkish electricity from before.

'He's back in Zone,' Yuki thought in alarm.

Did this mean that Akashi was going to start playing by himself again?

Naruto almost scoffed. "Are you trying to scare us with that? It won't work. You should know by now."

Akashi's smile returned. "I already said it, didn't I? _I'm_ not the one you should be worried about."

It was then that Naruto and the others noticed _it_. Spewing out from every single one of the Rakuzan's players was the same reddish-pinkish electricity like Akashi's.

"What-!" Moriyama was too shocked for words.

The others weren't faring much better either.

"Akashicchi." Kise struggled to come up with any words. "You've even doing this….?"

It was just as Imayoshi had said. Thanks to Akashi's support, the play of the others was gradually increasing. To the point that they were now grazing the gate of the Zone. So it wasn't as though they were in the Zone, but it was still close enough.

"Well, Kaijō." Akashi stepped forward with his team in tow. "Let's continue, shall we?"

It was time for Rakuzan to go on the full offensive.

* * *

As troubling as this development was, Kaijō still didn't lose hope. They couldn't. Not at this stage. Not when they still could rely on their two aces.

'Don't mess with me.'

Naruto wasn't shaken for very long. He couldn't allow himself to lose focus. Not when he was finally at the bottom of the Zone. He hadn't realized it before, but there was even something else down here. Could he call it another gate? He didn't understand what it meant really, or what it was. But he didn't have the time to wonder about that.

He moved forward. For you see, Naruto had learned another thing recently. For whatever reason, this Akashi didn't seem to have the Emperor Eye. Why? Again, Naruto didn't know. It did provide him with an opening, though.

Even if Akashi was back in the Zone, Naruto was still faster than him. And without the full power of the Emperor Eye to back him, Akashi didn't seem to be able to keep up with anymore.

Naruto sped through, with Mayuzumi and Nebuya coming in to try and stop him. Their speed had also increased thanks to the boost they received from Akashi. Naruto could have gone through by himself, but he didn't rush it and instead dribbled the ball behind his back and passed it over to Kise who was already waiting for it. The model was just in the perfect position to dunk.

But then Hayama jumped in to stop the dunk, but Kise read him like an open book. The blond pulled his hands down just as Hayama's went up for the block before coming back up again, performing a clean double clutch dunk over the Uncrowned King.

'T'ch, just as I thought.' There was a bitter smile on Hayama's face. 'You're a on a different level.'

Even now, stopping Naruto and Kise was still impossible for them.

Although that impossibility didn't look like it was going to stay that way as Kise landed back on the ground. He was already panting very heavily and was sweating more than he should be, especially after the break they just had.

Aomine frowned somewhat, realizing what the reason for this. 'So it's time.'

He had sort of seen this coming. After copying Naruto and Akashi, on top of using the Zone for so long, it was only natural to see that Kise was already approaching his limit.

Thinking the same thing, Kasamatsu gritted his teeth. 'Not now.'

They couldn't just keep relying on Naruto and Kise's double team. If they did, then Kise was going to collapse before the quarter was even halfway through.

They had to alleviate some of the pressure anyway they could. Otherwise, they were going to be digging their own grave.

'Yeah, right. Easier said than done.'

Kasamatsu hated to admit it, but besides Naruto and Kise they couldn't stop Rakuzan at all. That went double for their offense.

It started to show right away. Moriyama was unable to block any shots that Mibuchi pulled out. The Rakuzan shooter didn't need to use _Earth_ or even _Void_. _Heaven_ was more than enough, and it allowed him to conserve more energy too.

Kobori was easily overpowered by Nebuya, who was now even faster than the Kaijō center. Speed was the one area Kobori could contest in, but that was no longer the case. Because of this, Naruto was unable to jump in time to stop the so-called _Herculean Strength_ from scoring.

Kasamatsu himself couldn't keep up with Mayuzumi anymore. It was like the phantom had returned to his original full powered state from the second quarter, while Kasamatsu grew more and more exhausted.

Kaijō's defense was collapsing, and their offense wasn't looking much better as Kise started to falter.

'Crap, crap, crap!' Kise cursed as he looked down in anger. His body was getting heavier and heavier as time went on. He could already feel himself starting to slip out of the Zone, and he knew his copying abilities would follow soon after. Having added Akashi's Emperor Eye to his arsenal had really taken its toll on him. It was just like when he had first been training to copy Naruto back before the preliminaries.

'Why am I so weak!?'

'Can't I do anything about him!?'

'Why can't I keep up!?

'How could I reach my limit at a time like this!?'

These were the thoughts shooting through their minds, only further adding to their deterioration.

'This can't be.' Yuki felt her eyes start to water when she saw the state Kise and the others were in.

Was this really it for them? Could they no longer keep up with Rakuzan? Were they going to lose this game?

"No, not yet!"

It was Naruto's shout that broke through the defeated thoughts plaguing the minds of the others.

Naruto's shout was followed by a powerful show of force. Pushing his legs to the limit, he managed to step in to block Nebuya from scoring again, leaving the Rakuzan center to fall back to the ground as the ball was slapped away from his grasp.

'How the hell can he move so fast!?'

Without even realizing it, Kobori moved to secure the ball before any of the other Rakuzan players could reach for it. When he did, he didn't hesitate to throw it down the court to where Kasamatsu was.

Mayuzumi moved in to intercept the Kaijō captain, but Kasamatsu had a good enough sense to keep the ball moving. That's why he quickly threw it for a second pass, right for Moriyama.

Mibuchi smirked when he saw this. "What's this? Trying to struggle to the end, Yoshitaka-chan?"

Moriyama narrowed his eyes, feeling a wave of determination hit him. "I already told you…..we're not losing this game!"

He quickly moved to shoot. Mibuchi was once again mused just how odd Moriyama's form was, but that fact was no longer going to stop him.

As Moriyama launched his Unorthodox Shot, Mibuchi managed to jump just in time to get a finger in to tap the ball. It wasn't a full block, but it was more than enough to make sure the shot didn't go in. It was more than what Mibuchi could do at the start of the game, that's for sure.

Even so, Moriyama wasn't worried at all.

'You're not going to lose, are you!?'

That thought was directed straight at Kise who was already under the hoop ready for the rebound.

But Hayama was also there, and he was looking more feral than before.

"I definitely feel like I can stop you this time!"

"Huh? What did you say!?" Kise more than just a little ticked off by Hayama's words. It definitely hurt to move, and Kise was sure he was going to regret it the next day. But right now, he didn't care. He was sure he couldn't keep using the Zone like Naruto, but that didn't mean he was completely powerless.

With a similar explosive power that Naruto used, Kise jumped for the ball just after it hit the rim for the rebound. Hayama was in the air with him as expected, but the _Lightning Beast_ had the ball stolen right from underneath him as Kise snatched it before he could.

As the two touched back down, Kise quickly moved for the pass, handing it right to Naruto who arrived with impeccable timing.

However, while Hayama was in no position to jump a second time to stop him, Akashi was.

It was Naruto and Akashi who met for the aerial battle this time, and there was no Kise to jump in for backup.

Naruto didn't care. He pushed through as the others all shouted in encouragement. He and Akashi were the only ones still in Zone, but Naruto made sure to show his raw strength as he knocked Akashi's hand out of the way.

The dunk was a success, and the hoop felt the full brunt of Naruto's raw power. To the point that it almost looked like the hoop was going to fall over, but with a miracle it managed to stay in place.

Regardless, the whole court erupted into cheers after the play.

"Kaijō is still in this!"

"They're not giving up hope!"

It honestly brought tears to Yuki's eyes, only the tears weren't from sadness but gratitude.

'Naruto-kun, thank you.'

It was a sentiment shared by the others as they all stood around the whiskered blond who felt his legs twitch a little.

'T'ch, so it's like that huh.'

He had been in the Zone the longest. For nearly half the game. It wasn't as severe as Kise, but Naruto was starting to feel tire as well.

'But that doesn't matter.'

He was going to push past that. He had to. He wasn't going to let the others down.

While the Uncrowned Kings and Mayuzumi were left scowling, Akashi couldn't help but smile at the play. "Well, would you look at that."

There was still a fighting spirit left in them, huh?

"Not yet." In direct opposition, Kasamatsu glared at the Rakuzan players who stood before them. "We're Kaijō...! DON'T YOU DARE THINK THIS IS OVER!"

The fourth quarter had begun at last, and the climax was here. It was time to see who would come out on top…..!

* * *

 **So close. I was so close to greatness!**

 **I wanted to finish this game before the year was over, but looks like I couldn't do that. Really kicking myself over here.**

 **The next chapter will seal the game as well as the Inter-High.**

 **You have the original Akashi back in action. Will Naruto's morale be enough to keep Kaijō afloat? Or will Akashi and his team get the better of them?**

 **As I said, either way, someone is going to get pissed off. But it's going one way or another.**

 **I apologize if some parts seem rushed.**

 **Till next time.**


	17. So this is defeat

**Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Kuroko no Basuke.**

 **AN: To that guest reviewer. I'm flattered by your request, but unfortunately I can't write a Haikyu crossover. I've never gotten into the series. It never appealed to me I'm sorry to say. Sorry about that.**

 **Onto the chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16:  
** **So this is defeat**

It was already pretty dark out when practice finally ended for Kuroko and the others that day. It really had been another tough day for them. No surprises there. The others were too motivated to take it easy, not after seeing Kaijō go up against Tōō.

This was the clearest in Kagami, who had been eager to share some news with them today. What he told them was not what Kuroko had been expecting to hear to be honest, but he wasn't mad either. If anything, he was sort of glad. This only further reinforced their earlier revelation.

'To become stronger together…..we have to first become stronger alone.'

Summer vacation was in full swing, and Kagami was going to use all the time he had to return to America for the next two weeks, coming back just as classes resumed for them at the end of August. Apparently he had an old basketball master there, and after seeing Naruto and Aomine go at it, he figured something out. Something he could only train with his old master.

Or that's what he said. As always, he had a tough time explaining himself. But while he was vague with his words, Kuroko had full faith in him. Everyone else did too.

If he was going to come back stronger, then no one was going to complain.

Kuroko felt his body relaxed as he took his first steps outside of the gym. It was definitely a beautiful night out tonight. A full moon too, from the looks of things.

But wait, around this time…..

'The game should be finishing right about now.'

The finals of the Inter-High. Kuroko had to wonder who had made it there at the end. He knew Murasakibara and Akashi had been due to face off against one another, but who had prevailed in the end? He was certain one of them would face Naruto and Kise in the finals.

Really. Who was going to win this tournament?

"You've been quieter than usual, and that's saying something."

Kagami joined the blue haired boy outside. The others were still in the gym, getting everything in order before they left for the day.

Kuroko turned to the taller teen with his usual calm demeanor.

"I was just thinking. About the Inter-High."

Kagami looked annoyed. "T'ch, you should forget about that already. The coach said it best. We've got to focus on what's ahead."

It was a convenient excuse for him really, as he was still bitter about their loss against Aomine. He still made a decent enough point, though.

But Kuroko wasn't worried about that. They couldn't change the past, no matter how much they may want to.

"I'm sure you're a little bit curious too. About who the winner will be."

True, Kagami could acknowledge that much.

"I'll have my answer when I get back." He took a slight pause before a grin started to form. "Not that it makes much of a difference. We're still going to crush them all this winter."

The Generation of Miracles, as well as Naruto. Kagami was more than happy to take them all on.

'I'll get even stronger.'

He wasn't going to lose again. Not a chance.

Kuroko couldn't help but smile. "You're still so simple-minded, Kagami-kun."

But Kuroko liked that about the boy. His love toward basketball was infectious, and Kuroko admired him for it.

Kagami still punched him in the arm as he grumbled. No one liked being called "simple-minded," even if it was said as some kind of compliment.

"Shut up."

Rubbing his arm, Kuroko gave the taller teen a blank stare.

"…..that hurt, Kagami-kun."

That was the point!

* * *

In the arena, just as Kuroko predicted, the final minutes of the finals were being played. The fourth quarter was ticking down fast, rather fitting for the game that was currently being played on the court.

'Unbelievable.'

Yuki couldn't look away from the game being played in front of her. She was far too mesmerized by the skill that was being shown to her. She was sure everyone else watching was feeling a similar effect.

The points were rapidly stacking up too. Both teams had already scored in the 90's, and they didn't show any signs of stopping.

That said, Kaijō was the one struggling more at the moment. That was obvious for everyone watching, as Rakuzan slowly but surely closed the distance between their scores that had been built up in the third quarter. Akashi's leadership was to thank for this.

However, it still wasn't a walk in the park for the Rakuzan players either.

'Their spirit just won't die.'

Mibuchi saw this firsthand as Moriyama ran for a better shooting position. The Rakuzan shooter moved to intercept, but the pass still came through.

Moriyama felt his muscles ache as his hands made contact with the ball. Still, he took full advantage of the pass Kasamatsu threw his way. While Mayuzumi was feeling the similar effects from Akashi's support, the difference in skill between him and the Kaijō captain was still too great for him to stop him.

While the pass did reach Moriyama, he still found shooting the ball to be a more difficult task as Mibuchi managed to close the distance even faster than before.

'They're not letting up at all!'

Rakuzan wasn't underestimating them. Not as long as the fire was still in their eyes.

It was a sign of respect for sure, but still irritating.

The frustration was pretty clear in Moriyama, but he didn't let it clout his judgement as he still managed to shoot the ball. It was sort of a forced shot, though. And while Mibuchi failed to stop it or even graze it with his fingers, Moriyama was certain the trajectory was off.

Under the net, both Nebuya and Kobori were aware of this. They wrestled to box the other out for the incoming rebound, but as before Kobori knew he was going to be the one to lose this face-off.

'How tough is this guy!?'

If Nebuya felt like a boulder before, then to Kobori the Rakuzan center was like a mountain now. He tried with all his might, but it wasn't enough as Nebuya jumped for the successful rebound.

"Ah, Rakuzan stopped Kaijō again!"

"Are they going to score right away!?"

Almost in agreement, Nebuya threw the ball down court for a full on counterattack. It was Hayama who was there for the catch, but he already knew that unlike Nebuya and Mibuchi he was going to have a more tough time.

"You're not going anywhere!"

Sure enough, Kise was already on him, blocking the Rakuzan player from going proceeding.

"I'll make sure to get you even once!" Hayama shouted as he raised his hand, bringing the ball along for the ride. He pressed all five fingers on it, prepared to use his Lightning Dribble to its strongest extent.

And he did, but Kise was able to keep up with Hayama's powerful dribble just fine.

This forced Hayama to come to a quick stop. The smile on him now wasn't bitter, but one of resignation.

"T'ch, I still can't do it, huh."

Kise was panting hard, and sweating more than any other player on the court. He was also completely out of the Zone. Even with all of this combined, Hayama couldn't break past the blond's defense. More than likely because Kise could still copy the Emperor Eye and read his movements just fine.

Honestly, it was beyond frustrating. It took everything Hayama had to not scream right now.

"Hey!"

The frustration didn't stop Hayama from hearing Akashi's call, and without hesitation he tossed the ball for a pass. Beforehand, Kise might have tried to reach for the still. But as he was right now, he just couldn't do it.

The ball managed to reach the redheaded captain with Naruto already standing on the ready. But Akashi didn't try to go in by himself. He knew where that road would lead him. Instead, right as he got the ball, he was already throwing it for another quick pass.

Naruto's eyes followed the ball just fine, but his legs betrayed him as he couldn't reach it in time.

The trajectory of the pass was clear to Mayuzumi, who almost scoffed as he reached the location of the flying ball, appearing at the spot almost like a ghost.

'You're really playing it bold, aren't you?'

Well, Mayuzumi really couldn't complain. If they held anything back, he knew they weren't going to win here. Kaijō was that worthy of an opponent.

The phantom player felt Kasamatsu breathing down his neck, figuratively of course. He wasn't in a position to stop Mayuzumi, but he wasn't as slow to react as Mayuzumi would have liked. Mayuzumi knew he was playing better than he had all day, but the Kaijō captain was once again starting to react more quickly, rapidly getting adjusted to Mayuzumi's Misdirection. Sooner than he had previously too. Probably because he had been on the receiving end of it more often than the rest.

Mayuzumi wasn't going to let the captain stop him again, though. With his determination set, Mayuzumi launched his pass swiftly, not giving Kasamatsu any more time to close the distance between them.

Mibuchi was on the receiving end of this second pass, and Moriyama found himself unable to stop the _Heaven_ shot yet again.

'It's even faster than before!'

And Moriyama had thought Mibuchi's shooting skills had been impressive before now. This was just cruel at this point.

The crowd above erupted into cheers as the three went in.

"Only four points! Rakuzan is only behind by four points now!"

"It's anyone's game!"

Those comments would have probably effected any other team, and for a moment Yuki had to wonder if the spirit Kaijō had managed to show so far would finally break.

She felt like an idiot as Kasamatsu was quickly throwing the ball back in, his face showing nothing but raw determination.

'No, I have to believe in them.'

She couldn't betray their commitment, not now.

It was Naruto who got the ball, and much like his captain he didn't let the comments from the audience get to him. And unlike Kise, his Zone hadn't been drained just yet. He could feel he was reaching his limit, though.

'I gotta make it count!'

The Rakuzan players found that they didn't have a second to rest, but they hadn't been expecting anything different.

Which is why Naruto found his path blocked by Akashi just a few moments after taking off, but not stopping in his moments he was already throwing a fast-paced pass behind his back, one that Akashi had no hope of stopping.

'Eh, not bad.'

Akashi had to hand it to Naruto. His passing skills weren't half-bad.

The pass went over to Kise, who narrowed his eyes when he found that he wasn't being guarded just by Hayama now. Mayuzumi was now there for the double team.

'So they saw this coming.'

Kise wasn't all that surprised. Rakuzan realized that he and Naruto were the only real threats left in the game, and that the two were most likely to pass to one another. So while Akashi covered Naruto, they were going to put Hayama and Mayuzumi on him. This would also have the effect of exhausting Kise faster, and take him off the game if need be.

How annoying.

Kasamatsu almost cursed them out for this. 'Really? You're going to look down on us now!?'

There were no words shared between them, but Kise already knew what his captain was thinking. So, not holding anything back, Kise charged the double team head on. Hayama and Mayuzumi moved to block him off while making sure they weren't leaving any gaps in their defense. In response, following Hayama's example, Kise attacked with the fully powered Lightning Dribble. The ball was covered in a lightning streak as Kise charged ahead. As Hayama and Mayuzumi moved in to cut him off, Kise did a quick step back and pulled out a crossover with no wasted movements, fooling the two just fine.

'Is this guy serious!?' Mayuzumi clenched his teeth as Kise got around them. It was almost like their double team hadn't done anything at all!

Nebuya was about to charge in himself but stopped at the last second when he saw that Kise wasn't looking to score himself. Rather, he positioned himself for a shot. But as soon as the balls left his hands, Nebuya noticed that it wasn't a shot at all.

It was another pass. More specifically, an alley-oop for Kasamatsu who was already in the air.

Confident, Nebuya made to jump as well but found his movements slowed yet again by Kobori who pressed his full body on him. Kobori's hips were low as he did everything he could to slow the stronger center if only for a split second. It was the only tactic Kobori had at this point, but it did the trick as Kasamatsu was able to dunk over Nebuya who jumped too late for the block.

"Oh, Kaijō scored right back on them!"

"I can't believe the captain was able to dunk!"

"Kaijō's spirit is amazing!"

Momoi had to shake her head. How quickly the crowd turned their praises around. But it was the effect that the current game was having on them.

To Imayoshi, it was more than just a little bit funny.

"Up until now, this match has been something of a ping-pong match," the glasses wearer said. The others didn't miss the excitement in his voice. "Both teams kept hitting one another with one surprise attack after the other. But now…."

Now, both teams seemed to have revealed everything they had under their sleeves. There were no more surprise attacks.

It was just a full on frontal assault followed by another, and another. And so on. There was no room for holding back. Both teams realized this, and were using any openings they could find. With Akashi and Mayuzumi on the court, Rakuzan was able to get around Naruto and Kise with their passes, focusing their attacks on Nebuya and Mibuchi who were sure to score. Conversely, Kaijō had to rely on Naruto and Kise for their offense, but even so some of the others managed to sneak a few plays in.

Moving on from the ping-pong battle analogy, now the match was more akin to Kaijō and Rakuzan simply beating each other with a stick, trying to see who would collapse first. It was attack after attack, and the crowd was all for it.

Down below, Mibuchi was glaring at the Kaijō team.

"The double team wasn't able to do anything. Should we-"

"No, we keep it." Akashi looked over to Naruto and Kise. "Only Uzumaki and Kise can make plays anymore. If we stop them, we stop Kaijō."

It wasn't a matter of looking down on the others. It was just a fact. They had already reached their limit. Kasamatsu's dunk just now didn't change that.

Conversely, Akashi saw that his team was in a similar state. He might have been able to get them to a new level, but that didn't mean their stamina had recovered. The more this went on, the harder it was to keep up. It wasn't much of a shock to him really, as he knew how much pressure all of Kaijō was putting them in. Naruto and Kise might be the ones making the plays happen, but the others were still contributing. As tired as they were, Akashi knew they couldn't let their guard down for any of them.

Hayama noticed Akashi's rapid breathing. "But Akashi. You're-"

A small smile broke on Akashi's face. "I'm aware."

The redhead had long since reached his limit too. It was only expected. After using the Zone in the last quarter, and through all of this one. Not just that, but trying to keep up with Naruto's speed. It had taken quite a toll on his body. Only willpower was allowing him to keep standing and moving.

That, and he was having too much fun at the moment. Why would he stop?

Still smiling, Akashi led his team back on the offensive.

"Let's go!"

They weren't going to lose this match!

* * *

"Kaijō! Kaijō! Kaijō! Kaijō!"

"Rakuzan! Rakuzan! Rakuzan! Rakuzan!"

The whole room was filled with the energetic cheers from the crowd. It was evenly split between both teams as they saw Kaijō and Rakuzan continue their unrelenting offensive against one another. It was one quick play followed by the next, with no room for error.

For the most part, Rakuzan continued to use Kobori's and Moriyama's weakened state to their advantage as they focused most of their offense there. In contrast, Kaijō focused their plays mainly on Naruto and Kise. Moriyama managed to force in a couple of more three's, but were it not for Naruto and Kise Kasamatsu knew they already would have lost this match.

In other words, both teams were truly in a deadlock. That's why the excitement was running high.

"You don't see games like this very often," Momoi said softly.

Aomine couldn't help but agree with her. But as energetic and cheerful as the spectators were, Aomine knew that the ones enjoying themselves the most were the players themselves. It only made him love basketball more, if such a thing was possible.

But how could he not? Seeing the sport he loved bring so many smiles to so many people…..it was something else.

All that said, the end was quickly approaching.

How was this to end?

The balance between Rakuzan and Kaijō had held up to this point for the most part. At 107 to 106, Rakuzan had been able to close in just short of a point. But since then, they hadn't been able to overtake Kaijō.

As the final twenty seconds of the match arrived, however, there was a turning point.

Kasamatsu cursed in his head as Mayuzumi was able to get a few fingers in the pass he was throwing to Kise. It was a desperate move by the phantom player, but it seemed to work.

The Kaijō captain couldn't believe it.

Is that how slow he'd gotten!?

Regardless of the reason, Mayuzumi tipped the ball just enough to stop it from reaching Kise, the intended target. That said, the ball still headed in that general reaction, so Kise took off to snatch it before it was too late. A task that was easier said than done as Hayama was running right with him, looking to seize this opportunity. It was just what Rakuzan needed, after all.

By this point, whatever buffs Hayama had obtained from Akashi's perfect rhythmed plays were now gone. Which showed just much strain Kise was now in as he struggled to keep pace with the Uncrowned King, whereas before he would have been able to outrun just fine. It didn't help that Hayama had been in a closer starting position, relative to where the ball was now heading to.

The aftereffects of the Zone were severe, no doubt about it.

Kise still pushed through the pain. Failing at a time like this would be the last thing he was going to do.

Even with all of Kise's effort, he and Hayama arrived where the ball was at the same exact same time. They didn't waste time in reaching for it, but as they did the ball fumbled between their hands.

The ball flew away once more, only this time its destination was uncertain.

It took a split second, but then they saw where the ball was bouncing to. It was something of a cruel ploy as the ball found its way toward Mibuchi's direction.

If Moriyama felt any fear at that moment, he would never know as he was already on the move, his mind focused on defending this coming shot.

Mibuchi merely smiled as he took possession of the ball, but that smile disappeared when he saw just how closely Moriyama was guarding him. It was unavoidable, though. This time, Moriyama wasn't going to let Mibuchi shoot off his _Heaven_ shot so easily. The Kaijō shooter was putting everything on the line here.

'But if he goes for _Earth_ ….'

Mibuchi felt tempted to try and bait Moriyama in, but he wasn't going to risk it. Moriyama had already proven to be quite a nuisance, which is why Mibuchi was prepared to give it his all.

There was only one clear move here.

For Moriyama, there was a moment where everything slowed down. As Mibuchi got into his shooting position, Moriyama read his stance like an open book. It wasn't _Heaven_ or _Earth_.

It had to be _Void_.

Confident, Moriyama lowered his knees in preparation for his jump just as Mibuchi did the same.

But it was hopeless. As Moriyama tried to raise his body he found that he couldn't jump at all.

'No, this is like before!' he thought desperately.

Moriyama had felt sure knowing what shot was coming that he would be able to stop it this time. He had been proven definitely wrong.

The secret to _Void_ , that third shot…..it seemed like Moriyama wouldn't be able to figure it out what it was during this match.

Mibuchi was the winner of their shooting guard face-off, but Moriyama was no longer concerned with such things. What hurt more was the three pointer that followed. He wasn't facing the basket, but he heard the shot going in nonetheless.

The cheering only made it worse.

"Rakuzan did it! They made a comeback!"

Moriyama didn't need to look at the score to already know what it was.

107 to 109. Yuki really hated 109 right now.

"Oh, is that it then?" Up in the seats, Okamura looked at the clock. Nine seconds left. "How's Kaijō going to retaliate I wonder?"

If they moved fast enough, they could still tie the game here, and if they went into overtime….

The others in Tōō and Shūtoku were thinking the same thing.

Almost like they were responding to the other teams, Kaijō moved for their counterattack.

'It ain't over till it's over!' Kasamatsu used all the strength he had left to launch the ball out as far as he could. It was definitely reckless, but there was no time to play it safe. Thankfully, it was Kise who ended up catching it and making a run for it.

It was a race to Rakuzan's basket, and they were intending to win it.

"Do you really think it'd be that easy!?"

If Kise wasn't already thinking of his next move, he would have cursed as Rakuzan was already in defending positions.

"We already knew you wouldn't give up, not at this point." Nebuya glared at Kobori, who was more than happy to return it. "We'll stop this, no matter what!"

The sentiment was shared by all of Rakuzan, even those on the bench. But Kise didn't have the luxury of fixating on such things. The clock was ticking, and in the state he was in with the time remaining he knew he wouldn't make it.

'You're the only one I can count on!'

As those words echoed in Kise's mind, he passed the ball to his right just as Naruto came running by. Hayama had no chance of stopping such a quick pass, and so the shorter blond sprinted away, now with the ball.

Aomine knew this was the best decision Kaijō could have made under the circumstances. No one but Naruto had the stamina left to make a play happen. Even if the blond was no longer in the Zone, he was still more able than the rest.

There was only one problem.

Just as Naruto got past the three point line, Akashi arrived just in the nick of time. As they locked eyes with one another, they knew straight away.

This was it. It was the moment of truth. Not just between them, but for the whole game.

This was the last play.

'What is he planning?' Akashi was more wary and anxious than ever before. Just as Naruto, he too had lost the Zone. All he had was the Emperor Eye, but even then it wasn't complete like before. If he waited till Naruto moved, Akashi knew he would lose this.

But what was Naruto planning on doing?

'In this position, he would probably fake and crossover…..'

Or maybe he would just charge right in with a straightforward drive? No, that couldn't be. He no longer had the speed for it. But what if Naruto was trying to outsmart him? Doing what Akashi least expected and just bolt right through. It would definitely catch Akashi off-guard.

'That would be the unexpected thing, right?' Naruto thought. 'Just try to force my way in. But that's also why it'd be the most predictable.'

So then, what to do?

Aomine was completely immersed by the two, more than aware of the mental battle raging between them.

'What are you going to do, Uzumaki?'

As Naruto's body made to move, Akashi couldn't help but grin.

'At this point, relying on complicated strategies won't get us anywhere.'

The time for thinking was done. Only action would resolve this.

And act Naruto did. He surprised everyone as he kicked off the floor with a powerful jump. He wasn't going with the first two options. He was making a third one for himself.

Takao jumped out of his seat with wide eyes. "It's a formless shot!"

Indeed it was, and Mibuchi had to gape at the action.

'You're kidding me! He can still move like that!?'

Even after being in Zone for so long, after using so much stamina? Just how resilient was this guy!?

Despite how unexpected Naruto's plan of attack might have seem to Mibuchi and the others, Akashi was a different story. The redhead was jumping right along with Naruto, his hand raised just high enough to block the incoming shot.

Kasamatsu gritted his teeth. 'It's no use! He can't shake him off anymore.'

It wasn't just Naruto's speed that had taken a hit. Kasamatsu could tell that the blond wasn't jumping as high as he normally did. That's why Akashi was able to be in a position to block the formless shot that was coming.

But then there was a second surprise. Akashi, thanks to his eyes, was able to see it first. Instead of going through with the shot, Naruto lowered his arm back at the last possible moment. That alone would have been enough to prevent Akashi from stopping whatever the blond was trying to do next, as he didn't have the energy or the reaction time needed to keep up with Naruto's moves, even with the Emperor Eye. That's the one area Naruto and Aomine excelled at, after all.

Naruto still traded the ball with himself behind his back, passing it from his right hand to the left. From that, many believe that Naruto was still trying to make the shot on his own, just that he was switching which hand he threw the ball with. That thought ended when the ball started to leave Naruto's grasp altogether.

It definitely wasn't a shot. It was a pass.

'What!?' Nebuya's glare hardened, but Kobori didn't move an inch. 'Who's he passing to!?'

Hayama was quick to do the same with Kise, but to his surprise he found the boy wasn't moving at all. Was he thinking that he could still get it, despite Hayama being on him?

'No, that's not it.'

Even if Kise did get the pass, he wasn't close enough to the basket to matter.

So who was it then!?

Mibuchi almost squealed in a panic when he realized who the pass was going to.

It was Moriyama!

Somehow, the Kaijō shooter had been able to evade Mibuchi's notice just long enough to get into an open position.

'No,' Mibuchi realized as he tried to reach Moriyama in time to stop the pass from going through. 'It's my fault.'

He had been too fixated on Naruto and Akashi and because of it he had let Moriyama slip through.

Still in midair, Akashi could do nothing but watch as the ball left Naruto's hand. He now realized what Naruto's true intentions were. He had only been baiting Akashi in, but Naruto had never planned to make the shot himself. He wasn't looking for a tie.

Naruto was trying to win the game, here and now, and he was going to use Moriyama's shot to do it.

Moriyama was more than prepared for it, silently vowing to make the shot no matter what.

And at that moment, Akashi really did think that Kaijō was going to win. There was nothing he could do to stop Naruto's pass, and Mibuchi wouldn't be able to make it to Moriyama in time.

Then the third, and final surprise appeared. Only this one didn't come from Naruto, as he too was caught completely off guard by it. And that was Mayuzumi, whose sudden presence stunned the blond.

'How did he-!?'

This had been the opening Mayuzumi had been waiting for. All this time, he had never directly faced Naruto, choosing to bid for just the right time instead. And his gamble had finally paid off, here during the final seconds of the game. But even so, Mayuzumi knew that without Naruto and Akashi capturing everyone's attention, his Misdirection wouldn't have been able to fool the others. Not at this stage of the game. Especially not with Kasamatsu on him.

Regardless, by the time Naruto was able to take note of the so-called phantom, the ball was already being slapped out of his hands.

The pass would not be reaching Moriyama.

And as the ball bounced off, Naruto felt his heart sink. It only sunk further as the buzzer went off. There was no more time left. That truly had been his, and by extension Kaijō's, last chance.

"Time's up! Rakuzan High wins the Inter-High!"

* * *

Those words were the last thing that rang in Naruto's ears. All the screaming, jumping, and celebrating that followed after went unnoticed by him.

He didn't miss the looks of defeat and agony that befell his team, though. Not just those on the bench. But Kasamatsu, Moriyama, and Kobori. As tired as they were, it didn't stop them from feeling the full brunt of this defeat.

It only made it worse. They had given it their all, but it hadn't been enough.

Yuki too. Naruto locked eyes with her for just a moment, but it was more than enough to see that as sad as she was she was far more worried about him. The fact that she was on the verge of tears only hurt him more.

Naruto turned his gaze upward as he held back his emotions as much as possible. There was nothing but the lights of the room glaring back down on him, but they did little to light up the sadness coursing through him.

'So this is defeat.'

He didn't know if he had felt something like this in the past. But for him, the Naruto existed here and now, this was a first. After giving it everything he had, after trying so hard, after putting it all the line…..it ended in defeat.

This was the other side of basketball. No, perhaps it was just the other side of life. You couldn't always succeed.

Naruto could understand that, but that didn't stop him from hurting any less.

'I could have-'

"Uzumakicchi."

It took Naruto a few moments to register Kise's presence next to him. When he did, he saw that Kise was hurting just as much as him, if not more.

Kise still flashed him a smile. "Guess we couldn't make it, huh."

Seeing his friend trying to put on a brave face made Naruto sigh.

"I can see why you're a model and not an actor. You can't lie to save your life."

Naruto's words were enough to make Kise's mask crack, if just for a bit.

"You're not one to talk, Uzumakicchi. I can see you're about to cry too."

Of course he was. Because Naruto loved basketball so much.

"You're both idiots." A smiling Kasamatsu approached them with Kobori and Moriyama in tow. "You're not the only ones who lost tonight. So don't go taking all the pain by yourself."

Being part of a team meant sharing responsibility, did it?

It didn't lessen the pain in Naruto's heart any, but he knew it would help him heal faster.

"That was an excellent game."

The Kaijō players found a smiling Akashi walking up to them, with the rest of Rakuzan not far behind. Just like their captain, Mibuchi, Nebuya, Hayama, and Mayuzumi wore smiles on their faces.

"Even if we had lost, it doesn't change that," Akashi said as he extended his hand toward Naruto. "We all gave it our best, after all. And it's not like this is over, right?"

Knowing a challenge when he saw one, Naruto narrowed his eyes as he grasped Akashi's hand with his own. He made sure to fight back the tears for now.

"You're damn right. We might not have been able to beat you tonight, but the future is a different story."

"We'll always be there." Akashi's eyes shifted to Kise. "This was our victory, but in the end we weren't able to stop you two."

Kise pouted a little. "If this was the old me, I would be bragging about that right now. But it's pointless if only Uzumakicchi and I win."

Akashi was happy to hear that. "You've definitely grown, Kise. Or perhaps this is how you've always been?"

"Who can say?" Kise replied with a guarded smile. "It's not like you haven't grown either, Akashicchi."

Akashi could accept that. Because he knew Kise was right. Besides, if there was a catalyst for their change, they knew Kuroko was it.

There were a few more words exchanged between both teams, but there was no sense of animosity in any of them. It had been a tough battle, but they all had fun in the end.

Which is why, even though Yuki shed tears as both teams lined up, she couldn't help but smile.

The ceremony came and went, and even as Kise finally broke down as they headed back to their locker room, Yuki's thoughts didn't change.

She was glad she and Naruto had been able to find Kise and the others. And more importantly, Yuki was happy that Naruto had found basketball.

* * *

"My dear Naruto, forgive meeeeeeeee!"

To say Naruto was ambushed would be an understatement. After the awards ceremony had ended, the blond and his team had started to made their way out of the building with their second place medals hanging around their necks.

That's when someone decided to make their presence known, specifically Michiko who was in the middle of shedding tears as she engulfed her son in a tight hug. Naruto was sure he was going to die right then and there with how strong his mother's grip was.

Thankfully, he was hope as Eiji came to his recuse.

"Kaga-sama, you might want to release your son before he dies from a lack of oxygen."

"But I should have been there for him! But instead, I was only able to see the last minutes of the game!" Michiko cried even harder somehow. "I'm a terrible mother!"

"If you don't kill me now, I'll forgive you!" At least, that's what Naruto tried to say. But it all came out as gibberish as his ability to speak was all but gone, being pressed as hard as he was right now.

The others in Kaijō watched the scene with varying levels of amusement and confusion.

Except for Yuki who ran to her father. "Dad, you came too!"

Eiji smiled as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Of course I did. We would have arrived sooner, but…..we were delayed."

Delayed?

"Oh, that's right!" By some miracle, Michiko finally released Naruto from her death hug as she turned to address the others. "We were preparing your celebratory party!"

 _Oh_. That made sense.

"You went overboard if you ask me," Hiroji said under his breath as he joined the scene. "You ordered too much food and decorations. That's why we couldn't make it in time."

"It was for a good cause!"

Sure it was.

"W-Well, we appreciate the gesture." Kasamatsu tried to stop himself from stuttering as he stood straight. It didn't take a genius to realize that he was speaking to Naruto's mother right now. "But you see, we sorta-"

"You lost, yes." Michiko's simple phrasing of the situation made Naruto and the others freeze for a moment. "However, it was a good night, right? And you were still able to make it all the way here. That's enough cause to celebrate I think."

Kise's eyes sparkled. It was a total one eighty from just a few minutes ago when he was crying. "I totally agree with you!"

Naruto grumbled. "You just want to party, you idiot."

"Stop being so gloomy, Uzumakicchi. Be more like your mom. You'd be so much popular that way."

Say what now!?

"If you insist, we'll take you up in your offer." Naruto blinked when he found Takeuchi standing in front of Michiko all of a sudden. And was his chin sparkling? "I believe this is the first time we're speaking face-to-face, correct? You must be Uzumaki's mother. I'm Takeuchi Genta, the head coach for the team. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I must say, you're more beautiful than I imagined."

Naruto's jaw almost hit the floor. Was he just imagining it….or was his coach actually trying to hit on his mother!?

Whether Michiko realized it or not was unclear as she simply offered a smile back to the man.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Takeuchi-san. Thank you for taking care of my son."

"It's not a problem! Glad to do it!"

Who was this positive man!? Naruto surely didn't recognize him!

Kise almost laughed when he saw Naruto continue to grumble at this unexpected twist.

"A bit overprotective, are you?"

"…..no."

Yuki rolled her eyes at this. "I don't know why you're so surprised, Naruto-kun. Believe it or not, Kaga-sama is very popular. She's a beautiful woman, you know? It's more surprising that she's not seeing anyone."

Maybe….but that didn't mean that he had to like it.

So maybe he was overprotective. Sue him.

"Anyway! This is actually a good chance!" Kise pulled out of his phone and asked, "You don't mind if I invite a few extra people, do you?"

Michiko's smile only widened. "Of course not! The more the merrier!"

Naruto had to give his fellow blond a wary look. "More people?"

It was a feeling shared by Moriyama. "What are you talking about, Kise? The whole team is already here!"

Kise merely chuckled.

"You'll see."

Naruto _really_ didn't like the way he said that.

* * *

"I knew I didn't like the way you said that!"

Aomine looked bored as he took his first steps into Naruto's house, not reacting to Naruto's shout in the least. The whole living room had been prepared for a party. Hiroji hadn't been kidding when he said Michiko went all out for tonight. It was like the woman had been prepared to serve over a hundred people!

"So this is your house, huh. Rich bastard."

"Aomine-kun, mind your manners." As usual, Momoi was lecturing the boy as she followed in after him.

But it wasn't just them. Midorima was also there, a hand on his glasses as he took a look around.

"I never expected for you to live in a place like this. I suppose you really can't judge a book by its cover."

Hey, wait a sec. What did that mean!?

"Hope no one minds me tagging along!" Takao said as he playfully saluted. "When Shin-chan said he was going somewhere, I knew it was going to be interesting!"

"I(t) is to(t)all(y) out (o)f t(h)is wo(r)ld!" Sure it was Hayakawa, sure it was.

"Eh, who cares about that." Murasakibara strolled in next, looking just as bored as Aomine. "Where's the snacks?"

That's the only reason he accepted Kise's invitation. He had been totally seduced by the promise of delicious snacks.

Naruto nearly slapped Kise on the back. "You invited Murasakibara!?"

Just like Michiko, Kise was all sunshines and rainbows.

"He's a friend, Uzumakicchi. So of course I would invite him!"

A friend? By the way Naruto was glaring at the taller teen, that didn't seem to be the case.

"Just you wait. Our battle got interrupted, but you won't get so lucky next time!"

"What was that?" Murasakibara matched Naruto's glare with his own. "I can crush you right now if you want."

"Oh yeah!?"

Yuki felt like melting away out of shame from the sight. "Naruto-kun, control yourself!"

But Naruto was already butting heads with the purple haired boy. How that was possible with Murasakibara being so much taller was anyone's guess. It took Yuki and Momoi prying the two apart before things got _really_ out of hand.

It was enough to bring a tear to Michiko's eye. "My Naruto has so many close friends now. I can't believe it!"

She couldn't be more happy.

Nakamura looked at the woman in disbelief. _That's_ what she called close friends!?

Noticing his look, Kasamatsu pushed him away with a defeated sigh. "Don't question it."

But Nakamura had to!

'Almost all the Generation of Miracles are here,' Kobori thought while he counted them one by one. For a split second, he almost pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Only one was missing, but it didn't take too long for Akashi to arrive at the house with the rest of his team following his lead.

"Ah, they weren't kidding," Mibuchi said as he took in the party guests. "Everyone else is here."

Hayama and Nebuya were too busy staring at all the food prepared. Their mouths were practically watering.

Mayuzumi just hung back. He wasn't one for parties, but Akashi had instead he come here. Besides, they had won the championship game. Nothing wrong with making an exception once in a while.

"Thank you for having us tonight." Akashi took a different approach from Mayuzumi and walked right to Michiko, where he bowed to show his gratitude. "I apologize in advance for any trouble we might cause you."

"Trouble?" Michiko waved off his concerns. "There is no trouble here. I'm more than happy to accommodate my son's friends."

Naruto interjected here, "Too early for the F word, mom."

"Shush you." Michiko then studied Akashi for a moment. "Wait a second. You're Akashi-san's son, aren't you?"

The Rakuzan captain smiled. "Yes. I'm surprised you recognized me. I don't believe we've spoken face-to-face before."

Akashi had seen his father meet with the woman on different occasions, though.

"There's no way I wouldn't recognize that face of yours! My, look how much you've grown. The last time I saw you you were still in diapers!"

Akashi's patience took a toll that night as Naruto, Takao, Kise, and Aomine all burst out laughing at the mental image of Akashi in diapers. The boy's patience suffered even more when he saw Yuki and Momoi cooed to one another.

Was this the price for his victory?

Naruto quickly recovered as he looked between Akashi and his mother.

"Wait, how do you two know each other?"

"It's not that we know each other exactly," Naruto's mother corrected. "It's just that his father and I have been business partners for a long time."

To be precise, Akashi's father and her late husband. But when she took over, she made sure the partnership continued.

"Hmm, I never expected for Uzumaki-kun to be your son," Akashi said. "What a small world."

Naruto felt like the one saying that.

What followed after that brief explanation was a time of eating and talking. There was no ramen on the menu, but Naruto still found the party to be enjoyable. Not that he could admit it to himself. It was just like his friendship with Kise. The boy couldn't admit that he found himself getting attached to the rest of the Generation of Miracles, even if they did piss him off from time to time.

The rest of Kaijō was starting to feel the same way, especially Moriyama who had to hand it to Kise. He sure knew how to spice up a party. It wasn't everyday that one could say they were hanging out with the Generation of Miracles, after all.

'All this needs is cute girls.'

Well, _more_ cute girls. Yuki and Momoi were pleasant to look at, but Moriyama didn't dare approach either one. Naruto and Aomine made for some opposing obstacles, and he didn't feel like losing his spine tonight.

Next to him, Kobori had to shake his head, already knowing that his friend was probably thinking of something stupid again.

As for Michiko, she had to take a step back to admire the sight she was gifted with. This definitely wasn't the party she had envisioned when planning it out. It was even better actually. There were so many voices in this once empty house.

Could she maybe call this a miracle?

She didn't know, but she would think of it as such.

* * *

It would be sometime later that Eiji would make his way upstairs to Michiko's private office. When he opened the door, he wasn't surprised to find Naruto inside as he had noticed the boy sneaking his way up here. What he was somewhat surprised about was seeing the boy sitting in his boss's chair.

"Thinking of taking over so soon?" he joked as he made his presence known.

Eiji fought back his laugh when Naruto stood up abruptly with a sheepish look.

"Oh, Eiji-san! No, no! Nothing like that. I was just thinking through some stuff is all."

"Hmm. I didn't thinking was your forte."

Naruto looked down with a sulking expression. "Yuki says that all the time. Does she get it from you?"

"I like to think she inherited her personality from her mother, but who can say."

Funny.

"Shouldn't you be enjoying the party downstairs?" Eiji questioned as he stepped inside the office. "It's not everyday that you get to relax like this."

He left the door open behind him, which is what Yuki happened to come upon in her search for Naruto and her father. Unlike her father, she didn't actually step inside the office, choosing instead to remain in the hallway when she noticed the two inside.

"I just had a lot in my mind is all." Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly, not knowing what to say. And it wasn't because he was now technically dating the man's daughter.

Naruto had mentioned it before, hadn't he? How the man was always glaring at him when he thought Naruto wasn't looking. It made Naruto wary to be around him, especially now that he better understood his feelings toward Yuki. He didn't want to get on the man's bad side since he was an important person to the girl. But to Naruto, it seemed like he already got there without having realized it.

"Oh? Care to share?"

Eiji didn't seem to pick up on Naruto's discomfort, or maybe he did and was just ignoring it. Naruto didn't know, but having someone to talk to about his thoughts was too tempting to pass up, especially since it wasn't something he felt like he could share with Yuki or Kise.

"You might think it's stupid, to be thinking like this. But…I don't know, this all just seems a bit too freakish for me. Everything that's happened. I just can't get over it all."

Yuki frowned. 'That's what he thinks?'

But why?

Eiji had a different question. "In what way is this….freakish?"

"I'm sure you already know. Last year I was a guy with no memories and no friends or family. But now I have it all. My life is as perfect as you could get. I even have a goal! Where before I didn't even know what do do with myself. And a beautiful girlfriend too! What more-"

Naruto paled as he realized what he just said. When he saw the man smirking, he started to panic a little, and if he knew that Yuki was overhearing this, with her face turning all kinds of red, then he probably would have panicked more.

"Beautiful girlfriend you say? Well, I guess I should be happy you think so highly of my daughter."

'He knew!?' Both Naruto and Yuki screamed in their heads at the same time.

Naruto was quick to blurt out, "I promise to be the perfect boyfriend! To always respect her! And-!"

"You don't have to tell me anything." Eiji raised his hand, his face softening somewhat. "I can understand where you're coming from. These past few months have certainly been an eye-opener. Not just for you, I'm sure. I will admit that I had my…..reservations about your inclusion in this household. The first few months seemed to only prove me right. I saw you as nothing more than an unmotivated teenager that would do nothing but drag down those around you. I was afraid you were going to be a terrible influence on my daughter."

Naruto didn't fault the man for thinking that. His attitude back then had all but shown that.

"However, despite my fears, my daughter continued to believe in you. It's only now that I realize what a fool I've been." Eiji approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Out on that court, I was able to see a different side to you. The side that Yuki always sees and believes in. You've got a good spirit in you. I believe that's what's attracted all these people to you. So you shouldn't overthink it. Just be grateful to have all these people in your life. Not many can say they do."

Whatever uneasiness Naruto may have had toward the man before this were now gone.

It was incredible, what a few words could do. Naruto felt his shoulders relax as most of his mental hangups left him.

Yeah, there was no reason for him to be hung up over all the changes. They happened, and there was no changing it. Heck, Naruto _didn't_ want to change anything. From when he met Yuki, to his first encounter with Kise on that park, to joining Kaijō. It was all perfect. That's why he had been somewhat scared. To receive so much good fortune, who wouldn't be?

But as the man said, no point in worrying about it. Just enjoy it for as long as you could, and Naruto intended to make it last as long as possible.

"Thank you."

Naruto meant it too.

Outside, Yuki had to smile. 'Father….'

She mentally thanked him as well.

"You can call me father if you want."

Yuki's smile disappeared, her face mortified. 'What did you say!?'

How could her father say something like that!?

Naruto was just as embarrassed. "Um-"

"That was a joke."

Oh, whew. What a relief. If he actually meant that, then-

"But tell me. Isn't my daughter just the cutest?"

…..he just made it worse!

Yuki buried her face in her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment from the world.

'Stop talking, father!'

She didn't see it, but Yuki was just sure that Naruto was giving her father a thumbs up.

"Aye, just the cutest."

Her cheeks burned even more.

'You stop talking too, Naruto-kun!'

"See, I've been meaning to share my most important treasure with someone. Who else but my daughter's boyfriend, right?"

Wait, treasure? What treasure!?

"I took these when she was just eight months old and-"

Having heard enough, Yuki marched right into the room, her cheeks burning hotter than the sun. "Alright, that's enough you two! No more of this!"

Both Eiji and Naruto turned to her with expressions akin to that of a kid having been caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

Her embarrassment only grew when she saw her father about to hand several items to Naruto. She knew what those were.

"You were going to show him my baby pictures!?"

"O-Of course not!" The two quickly backed away from one another to try and appear innocent, while Eiji did his best to sound sincere. "You think I carry baby pictures of you around? That's preposterous! Why would I ever do something like that?"

Because he loved her, duh.

But just like with his dear wife, Yuki didn't buy his fake sincerity.

Next thing Eiji knew he was being pushed out of the office by his daughter.

"Come now, Yuki. Is this really necessary?"

"You've embarrassed me enough!"

Knowing when he was beat, Eiji made sure to discreetly shoot Naruto a thumbs up which the boy quickly returned.

They could see the baby pictures at another time. There would be plenty of chances in the future, after all.

Once Eiji was out and the door was closed, a weird silence fell between the two teens.

Naruto knew where it was coming from. "You heard all that, didn't you?"

Yuki didn't need to answer that.

Sighing, Naruto tried to think of a way to reassure her that he was no longer fixated on his earlier problem. But as it turned out, that's not what had Yuki all quiet.

When she turned to face him, she was pouting.

"It's just not fair. Why am I always the one getting embarrassed during times like this? You haven't even blushed once! Not even when we kissed….."

Oh.

Naruto held back his laughter. "That's what you're so worried about? Man, you are cute."

"I'm serious! Am I just not good at this?"

"Don't be an idiot." Naruto pulled the girl closer to him. Starting to get used to the closeness, Yuki wasn't as embarrassed as before. Although maybe it had to do more with the fact that they were alone this time.

"I probably never showed it before, but there was a time when I was worried that I wasn't good enough for you."

Yuki frowned at his admission. "That's not-"

"You heard your dad." Naruto knew she was too kind to admit it, but he wasn't blind. "I was a total mess. When I first realized I liked you more than a friend, I did freak out. A lot. I think I played it pretty cool, though."

Yuki almost rolled her eyes at this. He probably only got away with that because she wasn't exactly an expert at this sort of thing either.

"I'm still worried." Wrapping his arms around her waist, Naruto held her close to him. "Things are really great right now. Even if I'm still a little pissed about our lost tonight-"

"Language."

"-I'm still happy. I don't want things to end. I don't want to screw anything up. So if I seem confident, I guess it's because I'm good at hiding it….and I try not to think about it."

Not thinking was his forte, right?

Realizing what he was getting at, Yuki let out an exasperated sigh.

"You're an idiot."

Ouch. So straightforward.

"But I'm still not giving up." Leaning in closer, Yuki said, "I'll make sure to see your embarrassed side."

Naruto was more than up for it.

But as their lips met, the door to the office went wide open. And on the other side was basically everyone, with a sheepish Kise leading the pack.

"Um, this is totally not what it looks like."

Momoi had a different approach, in which she squealed as she took several pictures with her phone.

"Oh my gosh, you two are so adorable together! I was too far away before, but I can finally get pictures!"

Yuki started to blush again. "Momoi-san!"

Moriyama was glaring daggers at Naruto. "Damn you. I swear, I'll-"

"Alright, that's enough from you." Kobori spared everyone another one of Moriyama's speeches as he started to drag him away, something which Kasamatsu was grateful for as he was too busy trying not to pass out to give out his usual punishments.

Aomine was more thoughtful of the situation. Maybe he should get a busty girlfriend of his own? But where to find one?

"This is highly inappropriate. Spying like this is unacceptable!" Midorima tried to keep what dignity he had left while Takao snickered in the background.

Murasakibara wasn't going to let him, though, as he pointed out, "Eh? Then why did you follow us up here?"

Midorima fell silent, which only made Takao laugh even harder.

Akashi had to smile. "We apologize for this. But when we saw you two were missing, we just had to find you. The party wouldn't be complete otherwise."

"Yeah, that's right!" Kise nodded. "We can't help it that Kurokocchi isn't here, but we can't have you two disappear either!"

"It wasn't anything like that," Yuki tried to explain. "We were just…."

"Not a word." Momoi was in front of the girl in seconds, already grabbing Yuki by the hand and pulling her along. "These ruffians wouldn't understand. But me, you have to tell me everything!"

"W-Wait, Momoi-san! I don't think I can-!"

Yuki had no way of explaining, though. Momoi was too deep in her fangirl mode for that.

"If you ever have kids, you have to name one after me!"

"MOMOI-SAN!"

Akashi looked amused. "Well, we can't let them be the only ones who enjoy themselves tonight."

"I feel like Uzumakicchi already had the most fun here," Kise joked. Which only earned him a slap on the back of the head from Naruto.

Aomine smirked. "Ha, I'm sure blondie has some good dirty magazines for us, right?"

He was sure Naruto had the same tastes as him.

Naruto twitched. "Don't compare me to you!"

"Unbecoming I say!"

No one was buying it, Midorima.

"Sounds boring. I'm going back to the food," Murasakibara yawned. "It's like a whole buffet down there."

Kise's shoulders dropped. "It really doesn't feel like we're in sync at all."

"Give it time," Akashi said with another smile. "I'm sure we'll get there. This is only the beginning, right?"

But as Naruto and Murasakibara started to argue again over something trivial, with Aomine then attempting to break into Naruto's room just to see if he could find any porn the blond might be hiding which resulted in Midorima lecturing the three of them some more, Kise had to wonder if Akashi was right.

But it wasn't boring at least, and for that Kise was grateful.

* * *

 **Oh yeah, the end of the Inter-High is finally here. Man, I had fun writing this match. When I first planned this out, I always knew this chapter would probably land me in hot waters. People have a tendency to want Naruto to remain undefeated no matter what. Oh well, nothing I can do about it. The one thing I wasn't expecting was the audience I have (thanks again for that), but the show must go on! I wasn't going to change my mind on this, so here it is.**

 **In a vain attempt to defend my choice, I will explain some of the comments I've seen flying around in previous chapters.**

 _ **Why didn't Kise just copy Midorima or Murasakibara?**_

 **I feel like people have been trying to overpower Kise just so that Kaijō, and by extension Naruto, win. Unlike with the Uncrowned Kings or anyone else below that skill level, Kise has been shown to struggle to copy Aomine, Murasakibara, Midorima, and Akashi. (And Kuroko too, but that's for different reasons). He can't just pull their moves out like a rabbit from a hat. It takes time for him to master their moves. And unlike in canon, Kise didn't have the time to pull this off. With Aomine it was different. Kise already had Naruto as a basis. He just needed to adopt to Aomine's quirks, which is why it didn't take so long and why he didn't come out of that match injured. He was already used to the strain. It's not the same for the others.**

 **So why didn't he just try to master their moves during the match? Because that requires time and stamina that were far more useful for the Zone or trying to copy Akashi. For all of Kise's strengths, stamina is the one area where he struggles the most. Mostly because he's always pulling out some big moves, but the point remains. This was highlighted during his match with Aomine in canon. Learning new moves like that puts a considerable strain on his body, and even after having** _ **Perfect Copy**_ **he was still getting tired pretty quickly. Really, I feel like I gave him the benefit out the doubt by making him last as I did.**

 **This is the main reason why I had Naruto join Kaijō, other than the fact that I really like the team and Kise. Whereas Kise doesn't have enough stamina, Naruto does. This way, Kise doesn't have to overexert himself so quickly. Which is basically what happened in the game against Jabberwock. Kise is practically like Escanor from Seven Deadly Sins. They're both OP, but only for a short amount of time.**

 **On that note, I should also clarify that Kise hasn't combined his Zone with his copying abilities, or at least not for extended periods of time like he did in the Jabberwock game. Otherwise, he would have burned out even sooner.**

 _ **What about the second door, AKA Direct Drive Zone?**_

 **Normal Zone is one thing, as that deals with Naruto's and Kise's personal emotions. I feel like I built up a strong enough case for Naruto going Zone the way he did, but the second door is a different thing entirely. That deals with the team as a whole. It's like Kagetora said. Just being friendly doesn't equal teamwork. I don't believe Kaijō is on that level of camaraderie, so the second door remained close despite Naruto reaching the bottom.**

 **Funnily enough, I remember someone saying they hated the second door and all that, which I can understand. But it's a part of the "lore," if you can call it that. So it's a factor to consider.**

 **Anyway, I can make all the arguments I want, but as with the chakra thing it boils down to whether you like it or not. If you disagree despite all I've said, that's fine. I just hope you're able to avoid any personal insults or the stereotypical "go kill yourself" comments while expressing said disagreement. At the end of the day, it's only fanfiction.**

 **That's all from me. Man, I really wanted to end last year with this chapter. So close. I'm still kind of salty about that. But with this, part 1 is now complete! Or season 1, whatever you prefer.**

 **Till next time.**


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